Welcome to Pern — a world of peril, tradition, and unbreakable bonds.

In this rugged, medieval realm, survival is not a given — it is earned through grit, unity, and the courage to face a sky-born terror. Every few days, death falls from the heavens: Thread — silvery, writhing strands that devour anything organic they touch. Only one force stands between Thread and the utter destruction of life: dragons and their soul-bonded riders.

Here, civilization stands on three mighty pillars: Holds, Halls, and Weyrs.

Weyrs are bastions carved into the mountains, where mighty dragons and their riders train and live. When the ominous shimmer of Thread appears on the horizon, they are Pern's first and only line of defense. Each dragon, from the golden queens to the nimble greens, shares an unbreakable telepathic bond with a chosen rider, a partnership forged the moment human meets hatchling. Together, they soar into battle, chewing firestone to unleash gouts of flame, burning Thread from the skies before it can ravage the world below. Six Weyrs, each ruled by a Weyrleader and Weyrwoman, guard Pern's scattered lands with vigilance and valor.

Holds are the hearts of human endurance — fortified strongholds where hardy folk carve out their lives beneath the earth and stone. Crops are planted with one eye on the soil, the other on the sky, ready to flee at the first glimpse of Threadfall. Each Hold, ruled by a Lord and Lady, pledges their loyalty and their tithes to the Weyrs that shield them.

Halls are the crucibles of knowledge and craftsmanship, where masters of every skill — from smithing to healing to weaving — hone their arts. Independent from Hold and Weyr, the Halls answer only to their own Craftmasters, training new generations to keep the lifeblood of Pern flowing.

Though Pern may seem a place where magic should thrive, it is no land of spells and sorcery. Instead, the rare gifts of the mind — telepathy, empathy, and the subtle bending of will — whisper quietly through its bloodlines. These psionic talents, little understood and often feared, shape destinies in ways few can predict. Power on Pern is a matter of strength, courage, and ingenuity — not ancient runes or summoned storms.

The Red Star rises. Thread will fall.

And now our story begins...

Two moons, pale and gibbous, cast an eerie glow on the windswept plains outside Keroon Hold. In the distance, you see the dark outline of buttes and mesas against a star-strewn sky.

A suspicious rustle from the tall grass sends a prickle of unease down your spine. It's been happening for weeks, night raids by holdless renegades, swift and silent, leaving only a trail of disturbed earth and the panicked cries of the dwindling herdbeast stock.

But tonight, you're ready, waiting to defend the herd.