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Technology on Pern
Topic Started: Jan 10 2010, 08:47 PM (1,346 Views)
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Pern in this setting is preparing to enter the 5th Pass. Even if we WERE following a strict canon, AIVAS (who will never be discovered in this timeline) wouldn't be discovered for another 250+ years. This means, all of the nifty inventions that AIVAS taught them never came to be, and won't come to be.

The main 'craft' shared by all Pernese is that of fighting Thread. Holds and halls all have stores (of varying levels) of flamethrowers, devices that eject nitric acid (HNO3, or as it is called by the Pernese, agenothree). Weyrs as well have their own stores, though mainly used by non-flaming dragon-rider pairs in Threadfall. Flamethrowers are named for the fact that the substance they release burns much like a fire if comes into contact with the skin. They are a tool and it is a universal understanding among Pernese that they are not toys. After falls, groundcrews equipped with flamethrowers cover the area on foot, and if any thread burrows are found, they are dispensed of with agenothree (because, unlike a dragon's fire, nitric acid will not harm the foliage). The Smithcraft produces and repairs these devices.

Healing is, for the most part, focused on prevention. Because Pern is set far in Earth's future, it can be assumed that a number of advances were made to the human stock before they left their home planet. Advances such as nearly breeding out genetic defects (remember that the colonists were advanced genetic manipulators, enough to make dragons out of firelizards). Having genetic disorders, such as Down's Syndrom, is a nonexistent concern of the Pernese. Health in general is much better, without the pollutants of industry filling the air. Smoking does not exist, because tobacco is not present on Pern. Surgeries advanced between the 4th and 9th passes significantly, but keeping with a lack of AIVAS technology, complicated surgeries are not possible. In fact, beyond removing an appendix or performing a cesarian section, most healers do not advocate cutting into the body as a means of healing. Amputations are only performed on victims of Thread, and in certain very rare cases. Invasive surgeries such as these are hardly ever performed, and in the cases that they are, healing is often slow, and not always successful. Not even surgeries to remove wisdom teeth are performed; because wisdom teeth are never mentioned in the literature, even among adolescents, it is safe to assume that they were lost through the process of genetic modification, and the Pernese no longer have wisdom teeth. To compensate for the loss of super-advanced technology and methods, the Pernese have developed very close relationships with some of the native flora, and discovered many uses of a number of herbs and plants, such as the creation of numbweed (salve), a very powerful topical anisthetic, and redwort (salve), an effective and common antiseptic. Teenagers still get acne, but because of the use of yarrowroot (salve), it is generally mild. It is not uncommon to see people with a few small scars on their face from their days of picking at their skin, or to see teenagers with blemishes, but in general, those who use the treatment have mild breakouts.

Diets are much more balanced, with most Pernese eating healthy levels of protein, vegetables, and grains. Fruits are often consumed, and their natural sweetness is usually sufficient to satisfy most Pernese's sweet tooths. Other forms of sweets are fruit juice, with concentrated natural sugars, and nectars. Some common sweeteners are made from derivatives of sugar beets and cane. Without saturated fats and refined sugars in their diets, the incidences of tooth decay are significantly lowered, and cavities are all but extinct, so to speak. Still, this could have to do with the primitive toothbrushes the Pernese use, which are little more than twigs snapped off of the neem plant. Neem is a very powerful plant that is not used for other healing purposes, and only the young twigs are snapped off the plants. This is the type of commodity that, like soapsand or sweetsand, the natural cleansing soap that forms a lather when friction is applied under water (and is used for washing purposes), would be provided by halls, Weyrs, and most holds and is considered a necessity. Like other modes of maintaining one's hygiene, the Pernese are a bit primitive yet highly effective. Hair is often only worn down, in a runner's tail (ponytail), or plaited. The only styling aids are natural tree saps and gums that may be diluted in certain ways, and they are often considered a luxury by many. Hair dye is hardly permanent, lasting only a few days at most without continued treatment of the hair, and only effective on the palest of hair colors (which are not all that common in the first place). Such colorations are derived from plants, usually berries and leaves, and formulated to be a special kind of rinse. This kind of technology is also a luxury, and is very rarely used by any Pernese. Cosmetics are nonexistent outside of the very upper segments of Hold hierarchy, and even then, quite limited-- cheek and lip stains derived from berries, kohl to line the eyes with, and any other naturally-occurring pigments that innovative ladies attempt to use. Even mirrors are rich luxuries, as glass is hardly cheap. The average Pernese would simply have a large sheet of metal, perhaps molded into an oval or rectangle that could be hung from a wall. Tailors, tanners, and weavers are always in business, as all clothing is hand-made (industry is nonexistent on Pern).

In fact, plastics don't even exist. The main materials used for any type of production are wood and stone. Metals are rare but mining and forging industries have evolved in the few areas where there are mineral deposits to be found. Because of this relative scarcity of metals, swords are exceedingly rare. Most of the Pernese wouldn't have a purpose for a weapon such as a sword. Smaller weapons are more common, though still considerably rare. Most Pernese would not own a weapon; a knife, if any, would be the kind designed to chop vegetables and meats in the kitchen. All dragonriders own a beltknife, and this is probably the most metal used for weapons. Because combat is quite rare, firearms do not exist, as does not dynamite or other but the most primitive of explosives (which are used for mining). Poisons are far more common, as Pern's herb systems are quite extensive. As for useful technologies, Pern is somewhat primitive. Writing systems are much like our English, and there are not other languages-- though regional accents have arisen-- but because there are no paper mills or printing presses, hide (usually cured) is used to keep records, along with carbon sticks for marking purposes. A form of primitive parchment exists, used almost exclusively in drawings. Paintings are done on canvas or wood, and generally considered to be the most superior of art forms (as it is the longest lasting, and colored pencils and markers are nonexistent). Tapestries, too, are often grand products depicting scenes the Pernese wish to preserve. Still, hide is almost exclusively used for record-keeping due to its durable nature, but hide does decay after time, and in Holds, Halls, and Weyrs it is a scribe's job (or often an assigned chore) to read the oldest of hides and re-write them on fresh hide, to preserve the information. As for students, on whom the luxury of hides and parchment is not spent, there are wax tablets onto which writing can be (temporarily) marked, specifically notes. It is these that Weyrlings use. The alternative is a sand tray, which can have markings scraped into it, but once the tray is tilted and the sand shifts, the markings are lost. These are most common in halls. Timekeeping is another problem, since it is vital to know the hour of the day when living in a Weyr and expecting Threadfall. The Smithcraft has not yet been able to produce a timekeeping device-- watch-- in this era yet, but an ingenious if labor-heavy solution was found in the form of special candles. These candles are white in color and made from tallow, with 24 horizontal, black dashes spaced evenly down the candle's length. Each of these dashes represents an hour; therefore, by counting how many dashes are left (how many hours in the day are left), it is not difficult to determine one's present time. These candles are slender and placed in specially-designed slots in rock walls only, and they are placed far from any hanging tapestries, wooden supports, or other possible burnables. The candles must be replaced every night at midnight with a new candle, fresh to mark the passage of the day. Most weyrs would not have them; riders learn to tell the hour based on the position of the sum.

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Amber Wingsecond Aniese of Gold Rezeirth :: Marble Wingrider Vyra of Grey Theteth :: Granite Wingrider Karen of Blue Ienirth :: Weyrling Master Mai of Green Laeitath :: Candidate Master Kari of Green Seliath :: Sandstone Wingrider Natalia of Green Priyeth :: Sardonyx Weyrling A'den of Black Ezvanth :: Amber Weyrling Cayliss of Garnet Avraith :: Candidate Mirana :: Candidate Piper :: Journeywoman Healer Ylanna :: Weyrfolk Becca

Hurricane Wingrider Seneca of Blue Roryth

Sandstone Wingrider Dacielle of Copper Vylendrieth :: Granite Wingrider L'del of Grey Xakoeth :: Searchrider & Marble Wingrider M’ril of Blue Notalith :: Shale Wingrider K’dyn of Green Scherezath :: Baby Azora

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