Fauna of Pern

[Pande]

the DRAGONS of Pern

Golds (queens)
color code; brass gold

Gold dragons are the largest dragons on Pern (largest female dragon). They can be any color shade from rusty gold to a brilliant rainbow sheened gold color depending on their clutching dam's line. As firestone is (incorrectly) believed to cause infertility in female dragons, queens cannot chew it, and instead fly in the queen's wing, their riders carrying flamethrowers. Should a queen try to chew firestone, it will merely be immediately brought back up. They are also very precious as queen eggs are not laid all that often. Golds Impress females and ONLY females. Usually they look for girls with leader-qualities or qualities that a Weyr needs in order to see them through the future. They make up less than 1% of the dragon population.

Bronze
color code; orange bronze

Bronze dragons are the second largest dragons on Pern and the largest male dragons. They can be nearly queen-size or almost brown-size. They can be almost a brownish color to a brilliant orange bronze shine. They are the leaders of Pern, often taking positions as WeyrLeaders and WingLeaders. Bronzes Impress boys and ONLY boys, and usually males that have leader qualities or something noble about them. Ambition perhaps. Bronzes are remarked upon as being noble dragons, willing to lend a hand to everyone. They are very friendly dragons, but can also be very standoffish. Bronzes fly Golds. They comprise about 5% of the population on Pern.

Brown
color code; saddlebrown brown

The third largest of the dragons on Pern (second largest male dragon), Browns can be relied upon to do just about anything. Go the distance. They can be a dull, muddy brown to an almost bronze brown color. They can be as small as blues or nearly as large as an average bronze dragon. They are known for their staying power when fighting thread. They are not as agile or as fast as Blues. Browns are most often WingSeconds and they usually only fly Greens; however, some of the larger browns have been known to try for Queens. Browns usually Impress males but rare cases of a very masculine female have been recorded to have Impressed Browns. Search dragons. They account for about 15% of the population of Pernese dragons.

Blue
color code; navy blue

Blues are the fourth largest dragons and the smallest males. These dragons run from a seafoam blue to a deep navy. They range from small green size to nearly brown size. Blues are the most plentiful of the dragons. They are maneuverable and agile, and often have enough stamina to fight an entire fall. Most blue riders are bi or homosexual males, some straight males and some homosexual females may Impress blues. Search dragons. They make up about 30% of the Pern dragon population.

Green
color code; green darkgreen

Greens are the smallest of all dragons. They are quick and agile in the air, built for speed, but not stamina. As they cannot last an entire Fall, they fly in shifts. They are also infertile (but Fly often), believed incorrectly to be a result of ingestion of firestone. They can be swamp green to a rich dark green color. They tend to be more adaptable than other dragons, excelling at betweening and other skills. Greens are Impressed by women and homosexual men. They make up about 50% of the Pern dragon population.

White
color code; silver

White dragons are the smallest of ANY dragon type. However, there is only ONE one dragon, Ruth. There will be no other white dragons.

NOTES on dragons

- all dragon's names end in "-th" (example, Ramoth)
- candidates are Searched when a Queen clutches (around 14-21 years old)
- candidates Impress ONE hatchling (males names are contacted, example; Kenit - K'nit)
- all dragons are telepathic and may speak to whom ever they please, though that is usually reserved just for their riders.
- very few people can hear all dragons (Lessa & Brekke are known examples)
- dragons may teleport through a space that is known as between
- dragons chew firestone to produce flames
- the color of a dragon's eye reflects their temperment;

Blue / green: Calm, Pleasure, Enjoyment
Red: Hunger, Anger
Yellow: Fear
Orange: Suspicion, Uncertainty
Purple: Lust/Love
White: Anxiety

[Pande]

the FIRE LIZARDS of Pern

Golds (queens)
color code; brass gold

Gold fire lizards are rare, they Impress any gender and are often regal, vain creatures. They can be any color gold dragons can be and are the largest of fire lizards.

Bronze
color code; orange bronze

Bronze fire lizards are the largest males, they are noble, bold creatures. They can often be quite rough (especially around a female ready to Fly). The can be any color bronze dragons can be and Impress both males and females.

Brown
color code; saddlebrown brown

Brown fire lizards are the third largest. They are often very even tempered and a pleasure to be around. Also one of the smarter fire lizards, they are good companions. The can be any color a brown dragon can and Impress both males and females.

Blue
color code; navy blue

Blues are the fourth largest fire lizards, they can be any color a blue dragon is and are often quiet in personality. Often described as 'lazy' they are very loyal and affectionate and Impress both genders.

Green
color code; green darkgreen

Flightiest of all fire lizards, they are any shade of green. While they may clutch, clutches are very small and rarely have anything higher than a brown egg. Greens are the best at betweening (although they are rather flight-minded). They Impress both males and females and are also the most common color.

NOTES on fire lizards

- any name
- barest amount of communication (pictures mostly)
- taught to between & carry messages
- can leave their bondeds
- very few people can hear all fire lizards
- dragons like their company
- pretty smart
- very social & coveted (by Holders and the like)
- Impressed with food at hatching
- can clutch wild
- the color of a fire lizard's eye reflects their temperament;

Blue / green: Calm, Pleasure, Enjoyment
Red: Hunger, Anger
Yellow: Fear
Orange: Suspicion, Uncertainty
Purple: Lust/Love
White: Anxiety

[Pande]

the WATCH WHERS of Pern

Golds (queens)
color code; brass gold

Largest of the Whers, they can be any gold color. Also often more blood thirsty than the other colors. They can get highly aggressive and have been known to kill candidates for their clutches. Fly during the night when they are Chased. They can Impress any gender.

Bronze
color code; orange bronze

Second largest of the wher family, they are often ruthless and regal tyrants of their watchcave. Bronzes have been known to attack anyone who threatens their bonded (be it an impression of threatening or not). Fly when giving chase. Impress any gender.

Brown
color code; saddlebrown brown

Brown whers are friendlier, but wary of strangers. They have an excellent memory and really are the best at mine work. Browns are less bloodthirsty than bronzes and golds. They too, can Impress any gender.

Blue
color code; navy blue

Blues are the calmest of all the whers they enjoy the company of other whers. The can be any blue color and are best suited for Hold watching. Can fly in the middle of the night. Impress both males and females.

Green
color code; green darkgreen

Sweetest of all whers, greens LOVE attention from everyone. They can clutch and have any color (but gold) are are the most common color. Can fly in middle of the night. Impress both females and males.

NOTES on whers

- wher's take their name from their bonded and add 'sk' to the end (example, bonded Pande, wher Pansk)
- limited communication (emotions and some thermal images) (heat-eyes; ultimate test of bonding)
- can fight night thread
- wheres do not flame, rather, they eat Thread
- nocturnal (heat sensitive eyes)
- mostly flightless wings
- bonding is a bloody affair (bonded slices their wrist/hand and feeds it to the wher along with blood and oats)
- medium sized (max 5 feet at the shoulder)
- can bond to another if their bonded dies
- multiple whers can be bonded to one human (not often, usually a high and a low rank)
- non-bonded whers have been known to go wild
- any color can catch a female (often bronzes because they savage other whers, so often only selective breeding)
- eggs are often utterly smooth and do not give indication of wher color
- whers do not like dragons / fire lizards
- the color of a watch-wher's eye reflects their temperament;

Blue / green: Calm, Pleasure, Enjoyment
Red: Hunger, Anger
Yellow: Fear
Orange: Suspicion, Uncertainty
Purple: Lust/Love
White: Anxiety

[Pande]

the Animals of Pern

Dolphins

When the original colonists came to Pern, they brought with them 25 metasynth enhanced bottlenosed dolphins. In the chaos of Thread and moving north, contact was lost with these intelligent and talkative mammals. They are capable of human speech and consider the term shipfish (the name given to them when 'dolphin' was forgotten) an insult. They are considered lucky and any dolphin unlucky enough to be caught in a net is promptly released. Contact was recently reestablished with the formation of the Dolphin Hall. The dolphins are led by a matriarch called the Tillek.

Felines

There are two varieties of felines, the domesticated and the wild. Domesticated felines look like shaggy, oversized housecats and are used to hunt pests like tunnelsnakes. Wild felines, however, are very different. Descended from metasynth enhanced cheetahs in an experiment gone very wrong, these big cats are very dangerous. They are wickedly smart and hunt in prides. They can only be hunted by dragons, being too dangerous to approach on foot. If given the chance, they will even hunt dragons, as demonstrated by the near fatal attack on bronze Golanth and his rider F'lessan. They are only found on the Southern Continent and their furs are very valuable.

Canines

Like the dogs of today, they can be wolfish, or domesticated. Very loyal to their masters and they are very often used as herder animals.

Wherries

Named for the boats for which they resemble, wherries are big, squat, and long, about twice the size of a Terran turkey. They have hind legs, shortened forelegs, and wings, and are covered in proto-feathers. Like most native pernese fauna, they have faceted eyes. They are omnivorous and will turn cannibal if one of their flock is wounded of killed. There are many varieties, including a domesticated breed.

Runner Beasts

The Pernese term for horse. There are many varieties of runnerbeasts, and are typically small and shaggy.

Herdbeasts

Any of the many varieties of Terran food animals that tend to congregate in herds, including bovines(cattle), ovines(sheep and goats), and porcines(pigs).

Insects

info

TunnelSnakes

There are many varieties of these long, snake-like creatures. They have faceted eyes and six limbs, and typically range from two to four feet in length. Some varieties are poisonous, while others can be eaten. They are found everywhere, even in the water, where they can reach elephantine size. Considered pests by humans, children are often tasked with setting traps to kill them.

[Raelia]

Fish

Pern's rivers and oceans are teeming with life. A few varieties are:

Shellfish: Aquatic animals with shells. Such as clams, muscles, etc.

Fingertails: Small, long bodied, carp-like fish with a whip-like tail and multiple fins giving them a furry look.

Rockmites: Tiny little water-dwelling beetles often found hiding in the cracks of rocks. (interpreted description)

Packtail: A tasty, but dangerously barbed fish. (Resembling the Terran monkfish)

Spiderclaws: Small crab-like creatures with many pairs of jointed legs.

Speckler: A large tasty fish. (Much like the Terran bass--Interpreted description.)

Flatfish: Bottom dwelling fish. (Much like the Terran halibut or flounder--Interpreted description)

Yellowtail: A large edible fish. (Much like the Terran tuna--Interpreted description).

Watersnakes: A water-dwelling variety of tunnelsnake with fins instead of legs. Most types are no bigger than their land-bound cousins, but some types are huge, growing nearly to the size of a small dragon.

Sea eels: A long, slippery, snakelike fish with three pairs of tiny fins. Believed to have been the ancestor of the tunnelsnake.

[Raelia]

Insects

As on Earth, insects outnumber humans a million to one. Some more common types are:


Crawlers: A sort of small, six-legged, gecko looking creature that crawls along walls and even ceilings with their sticky little feet. They have a round stinging mouth and no eyes. Humans and dragons loathe them, firelizards love to eat them.

Sandworms: The sandworm of Igen. Ugly, grub-like creatures known for the fact that they eat thread. It is believed that grubs were bred from them by some.

Grubs: Lumpy, furry little grubs that have spread throughout the southern continent. They are known both for their eating of Thread and their beneficial affect on the plants around them.

Fly-by: A small flying insect much like a gnat.

Leeches: A blood sucking worm found in slow moving water.

Flies: Small insects much like the housefly, but built differently. They may bite.

Wrigglers: Native worms much like earthworms.

Trundlebugs: A useful insect that eats parasites, turns the soil and acts as a pollinator. They have the most elaborate color camouflage of all the insects found on Pern and come in many colors.

(Pernese) Fireflies: A small winged beetle whose abdomen glows with a luminescent light. Looks a bit like the Terran firefly, but tends to glow in different colors.

VTOLS: A sort of furry insect with double pairs of wings. The discoverers of these insects named them VTOLS (for 'Vertical Take-Off and Landing').

Bedbugs: A small wingless, biting insect that infests bedding, etc.

Crawlies: See crawlers.

Rollers: A type of wood louse.

Springs: Insects that hang in spiral loops until they find someone or something to cling to. They have an irritating, prickly bite.

Millipedes: A wormlike insect with many little legs. Trundlebugs are a species of Pernese millipede.

Spinners: Native species of Pernese spiders. There are also imported species descended from ones brought by the colonists whose silk can be gathered and spun like silkworm silk, though not quite as fine. Called gossamer spinners.