Soucon MUSH is a Pern-themed roleplaying MUSH based on the 'Dragonriders of Pern' by Anne McCaffrey. It is not necessary to have read the books, but it does indeed help. If you want to get a feel for Pern, start by reading Dragonflight, it introduces the world and many of the concepts.

However, to get you started, here is a quick summary of the world of Pern:

Pern is a world that is very low in technology. There is no industry, as we would think of it, no complex machinery, no electricity, and metal is precious, as compared to precious stones. Comparatively speaking, with some exceptions, we are almost medieval. Please keep in mind that magic does not work on Pern!

Peace is prevalent on Pern. There are no wars, and although people carry a belt knife, it is primarily for eating. Rarely, people will be involved in one-on-one combat, but for the most part everyone respects each other, and life is good.

This is because of Thread. Thread is Pern's nemesis, a parasitic fungal organism that is not native to planet. It is produced on the Red Star, where it travels through the atmosphere to become silvery threadlike filaments that kill everything! Animal, or vegetable. Luckily, this only happens once every 200 turns (a Pernese year), in what's called a Pass, for 50 turns. Thread falls from the sky every 3 or so days, impeding the inhabitant's ability to travel, build spread-out communities, and possess endless fields of crops. Traveler's might hide under rock or water to avoid almost certain death.

Thread drowns in water, it can also be destroyed by flame. So, Pern's original colonists, who had considerably more technology than it's present day inhabitants, used genetic engineering to alter an indigenous lifeform, a miniature type of dragon called a firelizard, to generate much larger creatures which they named dragons after the Earth legends. Dragons can produce flame, after ingesting a native, flame-producing rock called firestone, they can teleport anywhere on the planet via a dark, cold place called between, and upon hatching they bond to a human lifemate, to be it's rider, and partner. The dragon and rider can communicate to each other by telepathy, and dragons are hatched knowing their names.

Dragons, and their riders, generally live in remote, but extinct, volcano calderas, which are known as Weyrs. There are five color of dragons: Gold, Bronze, Brown, Blue and Green. Gold and Green dragons are females, but only the Gold produces a clutch, with the Gold dragon being the matriarch of the Weyr. Goldriders are also known as Weyrwomen. Golds do not flame, their riders use a substance called agenothree, to burn Thread. Bronzes, Browns, Blues and Greens all flame. Weyrs are run by a Weyrwoman and a Weyrleader, a rider of a Bronze dragon who has mated with the senior gold. Each weyr guards a particular group of Holds and Halls. The Holds provide regular tithes to their local weyr to keep the riders (and staff) fed and equipped.

Holds are the life of Pern. Without the Holds, people will not survive. The Holds are the where non-riders live, and they house the agricultural population. In exchange for food and other necessary items, called a tithe, the Weyr protects the Hold from Thread. Holds also house a wide variety of crafts, and are major trading centers. Seaside holds have ports, and inland ones lie along trading routes. Major Holds are run by Lord or Lady Holders. Minor Holds are run by Holders. Holds also have cotholds near by, where large families or groups of boarders live.

Halls are where concentrated groups of crafters live. These are training schools where talented teenagers are trained as apprentices to be one of a number of different crafts or skills. Crafters are the skilled artisans of Pern. There are many different Crafts, such as Harpers (musicians and archivists), Healers, Smiths, Vintners, Weavers and others. Crafts contribute their services, skills and goods to the Weyr that protects them, as well as to the Holds of Pern. From the Holds they receive food and raw materials in order to sustain their Crafthalls. Upon the completion of their training, apprentices are promoted to Journeymen, and then assigned to a Hold, Hall or Weyr where they assist in matters pertaining to their craft. Masters are the senior-ranked crafters, who teach their area of specialty to apprentices and journeymen.

Firelizards, the tiny relatives of dragons, are common pets for the Pernese. They are limited in their abilities though, being only empathic and not telepathic, but can fly and go between. They are affectionate, demand only food in return for this, but often get into trouble. To impress a firelizard you must be at a hatching, and offer them meat. Anything less will cause them to fly off and go wild. Canines and felines are also common pets.

Soucon MUSH exists only on the Southern Continent of Pern. We have recently undertaken a huge Tinyplot move from the Tenth Pass to the beginning of the Eleventh Pass, complete with a new database . We believe this lends us a diversity not seen on other games, but also foster close knit communities which allow for wonderful interactive roleplay.