PernMUSH
Encyclopedia
PernMUSH is an online role-playing game
which is based on Anne McCaffrey
's world of Pern
. PernMUSH is technically a text-based
multiplayer virtual world
based on a MUSH
engine.
), PernMUSH does not incorporate many of the more recent Pern books and there is a strict policy against 'rediscovering' lost technology. The strictures against women have been greatly eased, and women can be Lady Holders
, CraftMasters
etc. and can ride any color
, but bronze. PernMUSH takes place solely on the Northern Continent of Pern.
There are currently five active Weyr
s: Fort, High Reaches, Igen, Ista, and Telgar. The Weyrs follow a rotational hatching cycle, so that no two Weyrs are actively searching for candidates at the same time. PernMUSH permits each area to be independently governed, so often different Weyrs and Holds have very different atmospheres, permitting each player to find the location they best fit.
It wasn't until 1997 that serious trouble arose. Anne McCaffrey believed that PernMUSH had always known it was not permitted to have a PC
Benden Weyr or Ruatha Hold (which was at the time the 'rule' for all Pern based games). The wizards
, on the other hand, were under the impression that Anne had indeed given PernMUSH the privilege of those two locales. Eventually it was decided that Benden Weyr and Ruatha Hold were to become NPC
locations, and the inhabitants were moved to Telgar Weyr and Fort Hold, respectively.
In August 2004, PernMUSH officially ended the 10th Pass with an All Weyr Threadfall. This also ended the decade long sisterhood with SouCon, a Pern MUSH based entirely on the Southern Continent.
Dragonrider characters must be applied for during a Weyr's Search Cycle, and information is posted to the common bulletin boards when this is available. Each Weyr runs their own search, and procedures vary from Weyr to Weyr.
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
which is based on Anne McCaffrey
Anne McCaffrey
Anne Inez McCaffrey was an American-born Irish writer, best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. Over the course of her 46 year career she won a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award...
's world of Pern
Pern
Pern is a fictional planet created by Anne McCaffrey for the Dragonriders of Pern series of fantasy and science fiction books. It is said to be "Rukbat 3", the third planet in orbit around the star Rukbat, counting outward....
. PernMUSH is technically a text-based
Text-based
Usually used in reference to a computer application, a text-based application is one whose primary input and output are based on text rather than graphics or sound. This does not mean that text-based applications do not have graphics or sound, just that the graphics or sound are secondary to the...
multiplayer virtual world
Virtual world
A virtual world is an online community that takes the form of a computer-based simulated environment through which users can interact with one another and use and create objects. The term has become largely synonymous with interactive 3D virtual environments, where the users take the form of...
based on a MUSH
MUSH
In multiplayer online games, a MUSH is a text-based online social medium to which multiple users are connected at the same time...
engine.
Overview
Set in the 10th Interval (immediately following the 10th Pass of the Red StarRed star
A red star, five-pointed and filled, is an important ideological and religious symbol which has been used for various purposes, such as: state emblems, flags, monuments, ornaments, and logos.- Symbol of communism :...
), PernMUSH does not incorporate many of the more recent Pern books and there is a strict policy against 'rediscovering' lost technology. The strictures against women have been greatly eased, and women can be Lady Holders
Holds of Pern
Holds, in Anne McCaffrey's science fiction series Dragonriders of Pern, are the residences of the bulk of the planet Pern's population.Members of specialized professions on Pern live in Crafthalls and dragonriders live in Weyrs, but for most people, the Hold is both the residence and primary social...
, CraftMasters
Crafthalls of Pern
In the series of books Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey, all forms of human knowledge are maintained by one or more crafthalls. Based loosely on the medieval system of guilds, the crafthall system on Pern is designed to maintain both theoretical and practical knowledge across a broad area in...
etc. and can ride any color
Dragons (Pern)
The Dragons of Pern are a fictional race created by Anne McCaffrey as an integral part of the science fiction world depicted in her Dragonriders of Pern novels....
, but bronze. PernMUSH takes place solely on the Northern Continent of Pern.
There are currently five active Weyr
Weyr
A Weyr is a collection of dragons, their riders and support staff in Anne McCaffrey's fictional world of Pern.The function of a Weyr is to fight Thread, a spore that originates in the Oort cloud of the Rukbat solar system, carried by a planetoid referred to as the Red Star with a loose elliptical...
s: Fort, High Reaches, Igen, Ista, and Telgar. The Weyrs follow a rotational hatching cycle, so that no two Weyrs are actively searching for candidates at the same time. PernMUSH permits each area to be independently governed, so often different Weyrs and Holds have very different atmospheres, permitting each player to find the location they best fit.
History
Based on the TinyMUSH codebase, PernMUSH is one of the oldest Pern MU* style games in existence. PernMUSH was started in the early-1990s, beginning in the 9th interval, only a few in-character turns before the 10th pass. Originally the game began with just Fort Weyr and a few Holds, however expansion shortly followed, filling out the game to five Weyrs, with Benden in place of Telgar.It wasn't until 1997 that serious trouble arose. Anne McCaffrey believed that PernMUSH had always known it was not permitted to have a PC
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
Benden Weyr or Ruatha Hold (which was at the time the 'rule' for all Pern based games). The wizards
Wizard (MUD)
Wizard is commonly used in MUDs, particularly LPMuds, AberMUDs and MU*, as a term for the MUD's developers and administrators. The usage originates with Richard Bartle's original MUD1 and MUD2. It is frequently abbreviated "wiz", which is sometimes used as a verb; to wiz is to become a wizard...
, on the other hand, were under the impression that Anne had indeed given PernMUSH the privilege of those two locales. Eventually it was decided that Benden Weyr and Ruatha Hold were to become NPC
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
locations, and the inhabitants were moved to Telgar Weyr and Fort Hold, respectively.
In August 2004, PernMUSH officially ended the 10th Pass with an All Weyr Threadfall. This also ended the decade long sisterhood with SouCon, a Pern MUSH based entirely on the Southern Continent.
Characters
Character creation is open to anyone who wishes to log-in. To join an area (such as to have your character live at a specific PC Hall, Hold or Weyr), one must apply with the area's leadership. Generally places will accept any player as a resident with a decent grasp of how to roleplay, and a fair understanding of the world of Pern. Apprentice characters for the PC crafts are permitted, though often a very short application is required, to verify the player understands what the craft is about.Dragonrider characters must be applied for during a Weyr's Search Cycle, and information is posted to the common bulletin boards when this is available. Each Weyr runs their own search, and procedures vary from Weyr to Weyr.