Pern

Map designed by Nymkit exclusively for The Dragonfire Isles

Pern is the 3rd planet of the Rukbat system in the Sagittarian sector. Its name comes directly from the acronym it was given by the Exploration and Evaluation Corps (EEC) team that first mapped it; Parallel Earth, Resources Negligible. It was colonized by 6000+ people lead by Admiral Paul Benden and Governor Emily Boll.
In a bit of a departure from scientific reality, their sun - "Rukbat" - is a class G (yellow) star in the series; the real Rukbat is a blue, class B star. (Although it could be that the star Pern orbits is simply a solar-type star that is near the real Rukbat, and simply given the name for convenience.) Pern has two moons, Belior and Timor (listed in order of distance) that orbit the planet and are generally visible from the night sky. The Rukbat system also contains two asteroid belts, and an Oort Cloud.

Geography

Pern has three continents, four major oceans, and a large number of islands.
The largest continent, Southern, is regarded as the most fertile. Large expanses of grassland and jungles cover its territory, as well as a large amount of fecund soil that makes growth rather abundant; these qualities made it the first area chosen for a settlement by the initial colonists. However, it also is noted as having high tectonic and volcanic activity that eventually forced the colonists to abandon their position at Landing, and at present makes the Southern Continent uninhabitable due to the dangers of volcanic eruptions and intense earthquakes.
The Northern Continent, in contrast, has relatively infertile soil, as it is composed primarily of "shield" bedrock, and is the most tectonically stable landmass on the planet. It is characterized by a far more continental climate than the exotic warmth of the south, pinned in on all sides by towering mountain ranges to the north, east, and west. Some areas are sub-artic, chilly and cold year-round, whereas others may be more temperate the further south you traverse. The southernmost points of the continent are near tropical in nature as they are up against the warm Southern Ocean currents.
Not much is known of the smaller Western Continent, as it has never been explored; its existence is only known from orbital satellite surveys and maritime expeditions.

Our setting, the Dragonfire Isles, is a custom archipelago created specifically for our site that does not exist in canon. It is located off the eastern seaboard of the Northern Continent, and comprised of around 20 small islands that form itself into its own barrier reef against the Eastern Sea. The climate roughly mimics that of Japan's climate, with snowy mountains to the north and near tropical temperatures to the south. It's namesake is derived from the dragonfire tree - a maple tree that is characterized by orange leaves in the autumn - and the sweetblossom tree - a tree that boasts bright pink blossoms and bears a small sweet fruit akin to cherries.

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 to Renaissance level of technology. The planet itself is relatively lacking in most major metals but is sufficient in deposits of specific ores, metals, and rock oils to supply a somewhat 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 Ocean, 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.

Localized Phenomena

The most prominent phenomena that Pern is associated with is that of Thread falling. Thread, upon contact with any kind of organic matter, immediately consumed and destroyed, which led to severely devastating effects on Pern's ecosystem as a whole; the sole purpose that fueled the creation of dragons was to have a naturally occurring and semi-renewable resource to fight Thread.
As of the end of the Ninth Pass in 2529, Thread is considered eradicated; the Ninth Pass only lasted 47 years and Thread has not fallen since.

Climate

Pern's climate differs between continents; the Southern Continent is reputed to have a more temperate or tropical climate than the Northern Continent, and was initially chosen as the colony's settlement area for this reason. The Northern Continent, however, has a varied climate depending on latitude:

• The northernmost regions like Telgar and Benden are known for mountainous terrain and harsh cold. Snowfall is heavy, though avalanches are uncommon thanks to the continents tectonic stability.
• The southern-end of the continent is tropical in nature, with areas like Nerat and Ista known as "island paradises" that are known for warm sandy beaches, hot temperatures, heavy rainfall, and jungle-like forests.
• Some areas trapped between mountain ranges average the two extremes with temperate or continental climates that might be foggy and rainy, or arid and dry. Some are only good for mining, whereas others might be sufficient for propagation of crops.
• In the center of the climate runs Igen's desert climate, which is trademarked by sweltering heat during the day and freezing temperatures at night. The edges of the desert, where it meets rivers or the ocean, are marshy and swampy.

History

Pern was explored and cleared for colonization by an Exploration and Evaluation Corps team, two hundred years before the actual colonization commenced. The EEC team spent ten (10) days total assessing the planet, recording geographical, geological, botanical, ecological, and zoological information in a variety of locations. The planet was said to be so pristine and beautiful that the team members "struggled to remain objective" during their assessment.
Despite the beauty of the planet, the team found evidence of a "mass extinction event," supported by conclusive evidence of no megafauna species or predators on the planet and a distinct, repeated, seemingly random pattern of circles in the bare dirt, which was observed across the entire globe. Unable to solve the puzzle that was this finding, they eventually labelled the planet with the acronym P.E.R.N. - Parallel Earth, Resources Negligible.
Their findings stated that while the planet seemed capable of supporting human life - with a breathable atmosphere and potential for cultivation, it lacked certain raw resources that would make it insufficient to support an interstellar commercial investment in settling a colony here.

Colonization

Pern was colonized by settlers originally from Earth, First Base on the Moon, and the colony at Alpha Centauri. These people had lived in a technocratic society recovering from a war with an alien race. The colony was led by Admiral Paul Benden and Governor Emily Boll, who had both been key leaders in the war. The 6,023 colonists wanted to return to an agrarian society with a low level of technology so badly that they were prepared to take a fifteen-year one-way journey to an isolated part of the galaxy to achieve their goals.
Less than a decade after the first colony was established, the settlers discovered that their chosen planet was subject to periodic attack from space by the destructive Thread, a spaceborne organism that destroys all organic matter on contact. This was responsible for the mysterious bare circles noted in the EEC report. Unable to retreat from the peril, the settlers were eventually able to develop methods of counteracting Threadfall. The discovery of small Pernese lifeforms dubbed fire lizards was a breakthrough for the colonists, as the indigenous species had evolved remarkable adaptations to protect themselves against Thread: flight, teleportation, limited telepathy, and the ability to chew phosphine rock. This latter adaptation enabled fire lizards to create a chemical chain reaction within their bodies that expelled bursts of superheated flames from their mouths, incinerating Thread before it had a chance to reach the ground.
Kitti Ping, a scientist trained in genetic manipulation by the Eridani, used her skills to bioengineer these small lizards into gigantic, flame-breathing, telepathic dragons who were capable of obliterating large swaths of Thread while carrying a rider. Dragonriders became a vitally important and highly respected profession, especially during the massive push to reclaim the barren, Threadfall-battered northern continent, where humans and dragons lived alongside one another in large communal Weyrs. Over time, the colonists settled into an agrarian way of life, and eventually forgot their Terran origins.

Eradication of Thread

The initial site of the Landing colony was eventually forgotten over time, and all that was left of those early years faded into myth and legend for the people of Pern. However, in the Ninth Pass, the southern continent was explored once more by Benden Weyr, and they ended up excavating A.I.V.AS. - "Artificial Intelligence Visual Audio System" - the sole remaining supercomputer from the colonists. Despite the Landing colony being covered in sand and mostly destroyed by time, AIVAS had managed to remain active and functional through the use of solar panels atop the complex it sat in. After being discovered and dug out, AIVAS was able to recount to those present the initial first years of Pern’s history, and the start of their heritage as dragonriders on the planet.
The supercomputer wasn't just a glorified history book - it also brought with it a wealth of knowledge that restored many lost arts, including, but not limited to the art of paper making and the printing press, more efficient medical care and procedures, technological advancements, and meteorological knowledge. The standard of living on Pern was improved immeasurably by this discovery, though some of the more traditional folks had their reservations about all this technology.
AIVAS also revealed a plan to eliminate Thread once and for all by pushing the Red Star out of Pern's orbit, therefore ensuring that Thread could never fall on the planet again. Its plan was executed after many years of planning, and the Ninth Pass lasted only 47 years, and is largely considered to be the “last” Pass that Pern will ever have.

Alternative Name(s)

P.E.R.N. - Parallel Earth, Resources Negligible

Type

Planet