PERN PRIMER
This post is a short primer on the world of Pern, as originally created by Anne McCaffrey and tweaked by me for the purposes of the samdean_otp minibang.
Though I will be eternally grateful and in awe of the great Anne, my Pern varies from hers in some large and small ways (no one in the SPN world has a name that works with the honorific contraction!). For those not versed in the world of Pern - or who need a littler reminder - I’m including a short-as-possible primer on all things Pernese as they relate to the fic.
NOTE: I’m trying to keep my definitions and information here as simple as possible for those who are unfamiliar with the world of Pern. For that reason, I am only including information that I feel is pertinent to the actual understanding of my fic, and leaving out a great deal of detail. There are, in numerous cases, more thorough and precise explanations to be had, but in the interests of simplicity, I am providing the least complex possible answer. I do not claim that my memory or research is infallible, though, so if there’s somewhere that I’ve gone terribly awry, please feel free to let me know.
Pern - the planet on which the fic takes place
Turn - a Pernese year.
The Red Star - a red moon which gravitates around Pern on an uneven orbit. The source of Thread
Thread - a parasitic, silver thread-shaped organism which destroys organic matter. It falls at predictable intervals when The Red Star swings close to Pern. Thread is capable of burrowing into the ground and spreading for miles and is the great scourge of all living things on Pern. Fire, acid and drowning it in water are the only known methods of destroying Thread.
Dragons - Dragons are large, reptilian carnivores, capable of sustained flight, breathing fire, and long-distance teleportation. Dragons are the primary method of fighting Thread, making them and their riders the equivalent of Pernese military and also securing them high status within Pernese society. Like birds, dragons form a bond, known as Impression (yes, I know, Twilight - Pern had it first!), almost immediately after hatching with the human they first make direct eye-contact with. In the case of dragons, they bond to a human who will be their rider and develop a permanent telepathic, empathic and psychological link.
Between - Between is the frozen, empty space between dimensions where dragons and their riders must briefly travel in order to teleport. Being trapped Between for longer than a few seconds can cause death, and any dragon who’s rider dies will go permanently Between to their own death.
Weyr - The place where dragons and their riders live - essentially like an aerie or a hive. There are several Weyrs on Pern. Bender Weyr, the primary Weyr of Pern, is housed inside the bowl of a dormant volcano with large caves carved out of the sides as individual living spaces for dragons and their riders (these individual dwellings are also referred to as weyrs).
Weyrwoman - the head woman of a Weyr. The Weyrwoman is the rider of the dominant Queen dragon. She is typically responsible for managing the daily affairs of the Weyr - overseeing the storerooms, the making of medicine, the preparation of meals - as well as being the leader of the Queens Wing.
Weyrleader - the head man of the Weyr, similar to a general or mayor. The Weyrleader is the rider of the Bronze dragon who successfully mated the dominant Queen dragon on her most recent mating flight. The Weyrleader is responsible for commanding the ranks of dragons and dragonriders of a Weyr as well as handling the political dealings with the Holds bound to his Weyr.
Hold - a city or village of non-dragonriders. The Holds are bound to a specific Weyr and protected by it from the fall of Thread - in return they pay tithes of money and goods to the dragonriders.
Crafthalls - a Hold where individuals who choose to participate are given a technical education in a specific skill set. Major craft halls include Smiths, Carpenters, Tanners, Weavers, Farmers, Herders, Fishers, Harpers (bards and minstrels) and Healers (doctors).
Wing - a unit of dragons, organized by breed, which fly together in formation to fight Thread. All Wings besides Queen Wings breathe fire - Queen Wings use flamethrowers to burn Thread out of the sky.
Firestone - a phosphorus stone which dragons chew in order to breathe fire. It causes sterility in female dragons, so Queens do now chew firestone.
On Dragons:
Queen - gold-scaled females, the largest breed of dragon; they Impress female riders. Queens are the only breeding female dragons on Pern, they are also slightly more rare than the other breeds. Multiple Queens may live in a Weyr at any given time, but the Weyr Queen is the dominant of them, usually the largest and strongest of the breeding-age Queens.
Bronze - bronze-scaled males, the largest males of Pern; they Impress male riders. Bronzes and their riders are considered the elite males. They are the strongest and typically lead the frontline Wings - Bronzes are generally the only males powerful enough to catch a Queen in mating flight.
Browns and Blues - accordingly colored males, smaller than Bronzes and Queens (Browns are larger than Blues); these Impress male riders. Browns and Blues make up the standard ranks of the Weyr.
Greens - green-scaled females, the smallest breed of dragon; they Impress male and female riders. Greens are often tough and fiery and are also considered to be the lustiest of dragons. They are sterile.
Mating flight - Both Queens and Greens rise to mate, typically one to two times a Turn, although sometimes more for Greens. Prior to flight, a female will begin to grow irritable and will often become brightly colored. When the time comes, they will go into a rage and try to feed desperately - it is her rider’s job to ensure that the female only consumes blood from her prey so she does not become too heavy to fly - and then will launch herself into the sky, followed by male suitors. Whichever male manages to catch her in flight is able to mate with her, although the longer a flight lasts, the stronger the clutch produced (if she’s a Queen) is believed to be. Because of the psychic bond between rider and dragon, the rider of those involved in the mating flight typically undergo a similar sexual frenzy and it is typical for the rider of the male who achieves mating to sleep with the rider of the female who has risen.
Dragon pairings - Though it is possible for a female to be mated by a different male every time she rises, it is common for more permanent, monogamous bonds to form between dragons and, subsequently, their riders. While it is possible for riders to choose not to be romantically involved with the rider of their dragons mate, it is unusual, in part because of the empathic link between dragon and rider.
On Incest (MINOR SPOILERS) - This is the question I anticipate getting most, so I’ll do my best to answer it right now. McCaffrey doesn’t really touch on the issue of incest much (at least in the Pern books I have read - I admit I have not made it through the full series), so I did a little bit of extrapolating and took some artistic license. In the books, it is made clear that, at least among dragons, incest is not a taboo and while it’s not outright encouraged it’s not frowned upon either. Also, in the books, it is established that the children of riders, weyrbred, are A) more likely to become riders and B) are fostered out to non-riders, so siblings may grow up with little to no familial interaction with each other. Throw the nature of dragon mating, and thus dragonrider mating, into that and I think it’s fair to believe that the odds of incest among dragonriders is far higher than in normal society. Also, we know from the books that sexual taboos in general are much lower among riders, so I imagine they’d be somewhat more casual in this instance too. That’s really the only defense I have - honestly I just like Sam and Dean together.
Other Pernese Vocabulary:
Shards - a curse, similar to ‘shit’
Egg blasted - a curse, similar to ‘damned’
Great Faranth - Faranth was the first Queen dragon, about as close to God as the Pernese have.
By the first egg - another curse
Dimglow - an insult, essentially ‘idiot’
Klah - coffee
Numbweed - a plant which is boiled into a salve that is used as a topical pain-killer
Fellis - a plant used to create a juice that causes a soporific effect
Mark - the currency of Pern
Wherries - a large bird, similar to a turkey
Herdbeasts - cows
Runnerbeasts - horses
Watch-wher - a flightless, nocturnal species related to dragons. They are generally used as guard dogs.
Fire-lizards - an extremely small (about house cat-sized) species related to dragons. They are actually the creatures dragons were bred from, although are generally considered less intelligent and are not capable of the deep telepathic bond formed by dragons with their riders. Being called a fire-lizard or lizard is considered an insult by many dragons.
Though I will be eternally grateful and in awe of the great Anne, my Pern varies from hers in some large and small ways (no one in the SPN world has a name that works with the honorific contraction!). For those not versed in the world of Pern - or who need a littler reminder - I’m including a short-as-possible primer on all things Pernese as they relate to the fic.
NOTE: I’m trying to keep my definitions and information here as simple as possible for those who are unfamiliar with the world of Pern. For that reason, I am only including information that I feel is pertinent to the actual understanding of my fic, and leaving out a great deal of detail. There are, in numerous cases, more thorough and precise explanations to be had, but in the interests of simplicity, I am providing the least complex possible answer. I do not claim that my memory or research is infallible, though, so if there’s somewhere that I’ve gone terribly awry, please feel free to let me know.
Pern - the planet on which the fic takes place
Turn - a Pernese year.
The Red Star - a red moon which gravitates around Pern on an uneven orbit. The source of Thread
Thread - a parasitic, silver thread-shaped organism which destroys organic matter. It falls at predictable intervals when The Red Star swings close to Pern. Thread is capable of burrowing into the ground and spreading for miles and is the great scourge of all living things on Pern. Fire, acid and drowning it in water are the only known methods of destroying Thread.
Dragons - Dragons are large, reptilian carnivores, capable of sustained flight, breathing fire, and long-distance teleportation. Dragons are the primary method of fighting Thread, making them and their riders the equivalent of Pernese military and also securing them high status within Pernese society. Like birds, dragons form a bond, known as Impression (yes, I know, Twilight - Pern had it first!), almost immediately after hatching with the human they first make direct eye-contact with. In the case of dragons, they bond to a human who will be their rider and develop a permanent telepathic, empathic and psychological link.
Between - Between is the frozen, empty space between dimensions where dragons and their riders must briefly travel in order to teleport. Being trapped Between for longer than a few seconds can cause death, and any dragon who’s rider dies will go permanently Between to their own death.
Weyr - The place where dragons and their riders live - essentially like an aerie or a hive. There are several Weyrs on Pern. Bender Weyr, the primary Weyr of Pern, is housed inside the bowl of a dormant volcano with large caves carved out of the sides as individual living spaces for dragons and their riders (these individual dwellings are also referred to as weyrs).
Weyrwoman - the head woman of a Weyr. The Weyrwoman is the rider of the dominant Queen dragon. She is typically responsible for managing the daily affairs of the Weyr - overseeing the storerooms, the making of medicine, the preparation of meals - as well as being the leader of the Queens Wing.
Weyrleader - the head man of the Weyr, similar to a general or mayor. The Weyrleader is the rider of the Bronze dragon who successfully mated the dominant Queen dragon on her most recent mating flight. The Weyrleader is responsible for commanding the ranks of dragons and dragonriders of a Weyr as well as handling the political dealings with the Holds bound to his Weyr.
Hold - a city or village of non-dragonriders. The Holds are bound to a specific Weyr and protected by it from the fall of Thread - in return they pay tithes of money and goods to the dragonriders.
Crafthalls - a Hold where individuals who choose to participate are given a technical education in a specific skill set. Major craft halls include Smiths, Carpenters, Tanners, Weavers, Farmers, Herders, Fishers, Harpers (bards and minstrels) and Healers (doctors).
Wing - a unit of dragons, organized by breed, which fly together in formation to fight Thread. All Wings besides Queen Wings breathe fire - Queen Wings use flamethrowers to burn Thread out of the sky.
Firestone - a phosphorus stone which dragons chew in order to breathe fire. It causes sterility in female dragons, so Queens do now chew firestone.
On Dragons:
Queen - gold-scaled females, the largest breed of dragon; they Impress female riders. Queens are the only breeding female dragons on Pern, they are also slightly more rare than the other breeds. Multiple Queens may live in a Weyr at any given time, but the Weyr Queen is the dominant of them, usually the largest and strongest of the breeding-age Queens.
Bronze - bronze-scaled males, the largest males of Pern; they Impress male riders. Bronzes and their riders are considered the elite males. They are the strongest and typically lead the frontline Wings - Bronzes are generally the only males powerful enough to catch a Queen in mating flight.
Browns and Blues - accordingly colored males, smaller than Bronzes and Queens (Browns are larger than Blues); these Impress male riders. Browns and Blues make up the standard ranks of the Weyr.
Greens - green-scaled females, the smallest breed of dragon; they Impress male and female riders. Greens are often tough and fiery and are also considered to be the lustiest of dragons. They are sterile.
Mating flight - Both Queens and Greens rise to mate, typically one to two times a Turn, although sometimes more for Greens. Prior to flight, a female will begin to grow irritable and will often become brightly colored. When the time comes, they will go into a rage and try to feed desperately - it is her rider’s job to ensure that the female only consumes blood from her prey so she does not become too heavy to fly - and then will launch herself into the sky, followed by male suitors. Whichever male manages to catch her in flight is able to mate with her, although the longer a flight lasts, the stronger the clutch produced (if she’s a Queen) is believed to be. Because of the psychic bond between rider and dragon, the rider of those involved in the mating flight typically undergo a similar sexual frenzy and it is typical for the rider of the male who achieves mating to sleep with the rider of the female who has risen.
Dragon pairings - Though it is possible for a female to be mated by a different male every time she rises, it is common for more permanent, monogamous bonds to form between dragons and, subsequently, their riders. While it is possible for riders to choose not to be romantically involved with the rider of their dragons mate, it is unusual, in part because of the empathic link between dragon and rider.
On Incest (MINOR SPOILERS) - This is the question I anticipate getting most, so I’ll do my best to answer it right now. McCaffrey doesn’t really touch on the issue of incest much (at least in the Pern books I have read - I admit I have not made it through the full series), so I did a little bit of extrapolating and took some artistic license. In the books, it is made clear that, at least among dragons, incest is not a taboo and while it’s not outright encouraged it’s not frowned upon either. Also, in the books, it is established that the children of riders, weyrbred, are A) more likely to become riders and B) are fostered out to non-riders, so siblings may grow up with little to no familial interaction with each other. Throw the nature of dragon mating, and thus dragonrider mating, into that and I think it’s fair to believe that the odds of incest among dragonriders is far higher than in normal society. Also, we know from the books that sexual taboos in general are much lower among riders, so I imagine they’d be somewhat more casual in this instance too. That’s really the only defense I have - honestly I just like Sam and Dean together.
Other Pernese Vocabulary:
Shards - a curse, similar to ‘shit’
Egg blasted - a curse, similar to ‘damned’
Great Faranth - Faranth was the first Queen dragon, about as close to God as the Pernese have.
By the first egg - another curse
Dimglow - an insult, essentially ‘idiot’
Klah - coffee
Numbweed - a plant which is boiled into a salve that is used as a topical pain-killer
Fellis - a plant used to create a juice that causes a soporific effect
Mark - the currency of Pern
Wherries - a large bird, similar to a turkey
Herdbeasts - cows
Runnerbeasts - horses
Watch-wher - a flightless, nocturnal species related to dragons. They are generally used as guard dogs.
Fire-lizards - an extremely small (about house cat-sized) species related to dragons. They are actually the creatures dragons were bred from, although are generally considered less intelligent and are not capable of the deep telepathic bond formed by dragons with their riders. Being called a fire-lizard or lizard is considered an insult by many dragons.