Post by ShadowReine on Sept 28, 2008 0:30:36 GMT -5
The inhabitants of Pern are humans, whose ancestors originally came from Earth. Most of the original settlers were what we would call 'simple lifers'. They chose to turn their back on high technology and develop their own agrarian society...much, perhaps, like Amish or Mennonites.
They never counted on Thread. The original survey team landed in the middle of an Interval. Only when the first Pass hit did the colonists realize what they were in for...and by the it was too late.
The ethnic mix of the original colonists was varied. Thanks to advanced biological knowledge, they came from a human line cleansed of most nasty recessives. Cancer, thus, is all but unknown on Pern and senility is rare. Living to over a hundred is not only not unknown, it's not even that uncommon.
After centuries of isolation from other colonies combined with a lack of isolation of specific Pernese groups, the humans of Pern have developed into their own ethnic type. Although there is a tendency for people from northern parts to have lighter skins than those from the topics, for the most part, the Pernese have caucasoid features, but with Asian eyes. Blue or green eyes are rare, brown being far more common. Brown is the most common hair color, with black not far behind, and blond rare. The Ruatha area is known for individuals with red hair and hazel eyes. The Pernese also tend to be taller than Earth humans...the average height for females being about five eight, that for males about six one. Pernese males also have the Asian trait of growing very little facial hair, although there are exceptions.
Pernese medicine, however, is somewhat limited. Surgery is rarely performed, more due to superstition than lack of knowledge...in general, surgery is only performed if the patient would otherwise die. Caesarian sections are only normally performed on women who are dead or dying in hope of saving the child.
However, the state of anesthesia is surprisingly good...Pern being blessed with two plants extremely useful for this. Trauma medicine is a high art.
Contraception is unreliable to unknown. Healers sometimes attempt to induce abortions, but this is chancy. The only reliable contraception known to the Pernese is abstinence...and many holders resort to the rhythm method. Making repeated trips Between on a dragon is the only reliable abortificent, and even that is not always safe. Women who ride fighting dragons also often find it harder to conceive. The common euphemism for an abortion on Pern is 'a short trip Between'. More rarely, it may be called 'the greenrider's remedy'.
One peculiarity is that dragonriders are known to live longer and stay healthier into old age. Many of the less educated Pernese believe this is a side effect of Impression. Healers and most riders hold the opinion that it is a result of physical fitness, and the open space in the Weyr reducing the transmission of infectious disease.
Most Pernese have some slight telepathic or empathic sensitivity. Those who do not are often called 'dragon deaf'...the dragon deaf cannot even Impress firelizards and are viewed with pity. Rarely, a child may be born who has much stronger abilities. Extremely rarely, this can even result in an individual capable of projecting or receiving empathically (Note: I will almost certainly not grant this ability to PCs). Rare, but recorded more regularly, are those individuals who can 'hear all dragons'. This indicates sufficient receiving telepathy to be able to 'hear' dragons speak to each other. It is known to be more common in women than in men. The Weyrs often attempt to claim such individuals, but some 'hear alls' refuse to go near them, as the proximity of large numbers of dragons can cause psychological problems, and they are hard to tune out. Blue and some green (and rare brown) dragons possess the ability to assess an individual's telepathic ability. The -average- Pernese possesses enough receiving telepathy to hear a dragon if the dragon really concentrates and to Impress a firelizard. No human Pernese possess projective telepathy: It is the dragon who pulls the thoughts from the rider's head.
They never counted on Thread. The original survey team landed in the middle of an Interval. Only when the first Pass hit did the colonists realize what they were in for...and by the it was too late.
The ethnic mix of the original colonists was varied. Thanks to advanced biological knowledge, they came from a human line cleansed of most nasty recessives. Cancer, thus, is all but unknown on Pern and senility is rare. Living to over a hundred is not only not unknown, it's not even that uncommon.
After centuries of isolation from other colonies combined with a lack of isolation of specific Pernese groups, the humans of Pern have developed into their own ethnic type. Although there is a tendency for people from northern parts to have lighter skins than those from the topics, for the most part, the Pernese have caucasoid features, but with Asian eyes. Blue or green eyes are rare, brown being far more common. Brown is the most common hair color, with black not far behind, and blond rare. The Ruatha area is known for individuals with red hair and hazel eyes. The Pernese also tend to be taller than Earth humans...the average height for females being about five eight, that for males about six one. Pernese males also have the Asian trait of growing very little facial hair, although there are exceptions.
Pernese medicine, however, is somewhat limited. Surgery is rarely performed, more due to superstition than lack of knowledge...in general, surgery is only performed if the patient would otherwise die. Caesarian sections are only normally performed on women who are dead or dying in hope of saving the child.
However, the state of anesthesia is surprisingly good...Pern being blessed with two plants extremely useful for this. Trauma medicine is a high art.
Contraception is unreliable to unknown. Healers sometimes attempt to induce abortions, but this is chancy. The only reliable contraception known to the Pernese is abstinence...and many holders resort to the rhythm method. Making repeated trips Between on a dragon is the only reliable abortificent, and even that is not always safe. Women who ride fighting dragons also often find it harder to conceive. The common euphemism for an abortion on Pern is 'a short trip Between'. More rarely, it may be called 'the greenrider's remedy'.
One peculiarity is that dragonriders are known to live longer and stay healthier into old age. Many of the less educated Pernese believe this is a side effect of Impression. Healers and most riders hold the opinion that it is a result of physical fitness, and the open space in the Weyr reducing the transmission of infectious disease.
Most Pernese have some slight telepathic or empathic sensitivity. Those who do not are often called 'dragon deaf'...the dragon deaf cannot even Impress firelizards and are viewed with pity. Rarely, a child may be born who has much stronger abilities. Extremely rarely, this can even result in an individual capable of projecting or receiving empathically (Note: I will almost certainly not grant this ability to PCs). Rare, but recorded more regularly, are those individuals who can 'hear all dragons'. This indicates sufficient receiving telepathy to be able to 'hear' dragons speak to each other. It is known to be more common in women than in men. The Weyrs often attempt to claim such individuals, but some 'hear alls' refuse to go near them, as the proximity of large numbers of dragons can cause psychological problems, and they are hard to tune out. Blue and some green (and rare brown) dragons possess the ability to assess an individual's telepathic ability. The -average- Pernese possesses enough receiving telepathy to hear a dragon if the dragon really concentrates and to Impress a firelizard. No human Pernese possess projective telepathy: It is the dragon who pulls the thoughts from the rider's head.