|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 5:58 am
The Foods & Flora of Pern Aconite: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Agrimony: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Aloe: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Anise: Used for flavoring special breads and pastries, but primarily considered medicinal (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Arnica: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Bamboograss: A tough, spear-like grass, grown for fiber.
Beer: A common drink throughout Pern. Nearly every hold and crafthall brews its own, using barley, hops, malt, rice, fruit, and/or other flavoring agents. All the common terran varieties exist on Pern, including ales, lagers, porters, stouts, and so forth.
Berries: Available are blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries.
Borage: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Brandy: An alcoholic liquor produced by the distillation of grape wine and matured by aging in wooden casks. Has a very high alcoholic content. Similar drinks, cordials and liqueurs, are produced using other types of fruit wines.
Breads: Self-explanatory. A wide variety of recipes are available.
Bubbly Pies: Tarts made from berries and other fruits.
Carrots: Self-explanatory.
Cereal: Porridge and oatmeal; a common breakfast item.
Chai: Tea; several varieties are available, including herbals.
Cheese: Self-explanatory. A wide variety is available, made from goat, sheep, cattle, and horse milk.
Cider: A common drink throughout the Southern Continent, pressed from apples and other types of fruit. Both hard (alcoholic) and soft (non-alcoholic) varieties are available.
Citron: A citrus fruit similar to a cross between an orange and a lemon.
Comfrey: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Cress: A grass-like salad green
Dintale: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Ezob: Another name for Hissop. (see "Medicianl Herbs")
Featherfern: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Feather herb: (see "Medicianl Herbs")
Fellis: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Feverease: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Fishrolls: A common type of meatroll -- the Pernese brand of sandwich.
Flax: A crop plant grown for fiber
Fruits: Available are apples, oranges, pears, grapes, peaches, plums, watermelons, lemons, tomatoes, cherries, and others.
Glows: A luminous fungi which emits quite a bit of light but little heat, making it a standard indoor lighting source in human habitations. A glow will dim after a few sevendays, and must be refreshed on a bed of manure. Widely cultivated by the Pernese.
Goru Pears: A tart, tangy pear-like fruit.
Grains: Available are wheat, rye, rice, couscous, corn, sorghum, barley, millet, oats, and others.
Greens: (salad greens) available are several varieties of lettuce, cabbage, and spinach.
Herbs: Both medicinal and for cooking: imported varieties include thyme, tarragon, rosemary, hazel, willow, basil, coriander, cumin, and others.
Hissop: Pernese spelling of terran "hyssop". Also known as Ezob. (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Klah: A native bark which is powdered and brewed to make a caffeine-heavy drink which reportedly tastes like coffee, chocolate, and cinnamon. Also is often used as a spice.
Leeks: An edible plant related to the weeper (onion) with a white stalk and dark green leaves.
Legumes: Beans; a wide variety are available, such as pinto, green, pea, and string.
Marshberry: A yellow-blooming bush with edible black berries.
Meat: Self explanatory. Wherry, whersport, beef, veal, lamb, mutton, pork, fowl, seafood, and even "exotic" meats such as horse, tunnel snake, dog, and wher are available. Flesh considered taboo for consumption are shipfish, dragon, firelizard, and (of course) human.
Meatrolls: A common meal -- the Pernese brand of sandwich.
Milk: Available from goat, cattle, and horse. All varieties of dairy products, from butter to cream to yogurt, is made.
Mockweed: A leafy green that closely resembles salad greens; is edible, but very bitter tasting.
Moonvine: A flowering vine with sweet tasting red-orange fruit.
Mosstea: Used for packing wounds and preventing infection; not for drinking.
Mushrooms: A wide variety of Terran fungi have adapted to Pernese soil. None of the native fungi are edible. Edible varieties produced on the Southern Continent include oyster mushrooms, buttons, morels, shiitake, and chanterelles.
Needlethorn: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Nettleweed: Young nettleweed plants make good salad greens; mature plants are used for medicinal purposes.
Numbweed: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Redfruit: A fruit similar to a cross between an apple and a plum.
Red Melon: A sweet fruit similar to a honeydew melon, except that its meat is ruby red.
Redroots: Beets. A prime source of sugar.
Redwort: A stronger variety of soapwort. (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Salt Self-explanatory. Taken from the sea as well as from salt mines.
Sausage: The most common form of preserved meat. A huge variety is available; often different regions will specialize in their own types of sausage.
Sisal: A tough desert plant grown for fiber.
Soapwort: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Spearleek: Chinese leaks; used medicinally to relieve congestion and stimulate appetite.
Sugarcane: Grown and harvested both in Nerat in and some areas of Southern (notably Delta Hold.) Used to make brown sugar, molasses, white sugar, and powdered sugar. Recent experiments have produced rum as well.
Sungazer: A tiny flowering plant. Pretty to look at, but of no general use.
Sweatroot: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Sweet: A wide variety of desserts, or "sweets", is made on Pern, from white cakes to spice cakes, to puddings and pies.
Sweetball A white taffy-like candy. Very chewy and sticky, and can be widely flavored and colored.
Sweetening: Syrup, made from fruits or base sugars.
Thyme: Used for flavoring as well as medicinally. (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Tuftgrass: (see "Medicinal Herbs")
Weepers: Onions. They come in a number of varieties, including green, yellow, white, red, and sweet.
Whitebulb: Garlic
Whitethorn: Used to relieve heart palpitations.
Willowbark: Used like aspirin; can be brewed into an analgesic tea.
Wine: All three major types of wine, table wines, sparkling wines, and fortified wines, are made on Pern. The best wines come, arguably, from Benden Hold and the Northern Vinter's Hall there. However, some rival wines are being produced at various locations on the Southern Continent.
Withies: Edible, grass-like plant which is also used in weaving baskets.
Yellowfruit: Bananas. Grown both on Southern and in Nerat.
Yellowvein: An edible green with yellow stripes.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 6:23 am
Organizing and Types of Medicine Picking and storing herbs: The best time to pick herbs is early morning after dew has dried but before plants have been heated by the sun. Wet plants will mold or mildew. While fresh herbs are best for food preparation, dried herbs are better for medicinal purposes as drying tends to concentrate the active components. Herbs to be dried should be hung upside down in an airy but shaded location (direct sun will fade plants). Roots and heavy stems will need to be cleaned, chopped or sliced, and placed on a screen near (but NOT over) a heat source. When dry all parts should look and smell much as when first picked; colors will be muted and the smell as strong or stronger. Dried herbs should be bottled whole, as grinding will release the oils. These will fade more quickly than whole herbs. Herbs are best stored in opaque glass, or nonmetalic containers in a cool, dry, dark place. When used, herbs may be crushed by hand or ground with mortar and pestle.
Using herbs: Fresh herbs require a double amount to produce the same potency, as fresh herbs contain water and are therefore naturally diluted.
Teas: Sried herbs are most frequently administered as a medicinal tea. Medicinal teas are much stronger than the common "herbal teas". They are approximately 6-8 times more potent and frequently do NOT taste good. When brewed 15 minutes to several hours, teas are called infusions. Infusions are generally made a pint at a time or so, enough for a full days' use. NEVER use aluminum, iron, or tin containers to prepare teas or infusions-use glass, ceramic, pottery, or enameled steel.
Decoctions: These are made by simmering, and especially good for using heavy stems, barks, and roots.
Syrups: Herbal syrups must be stored in a cool (refrigerated) area. A common Pernese cough syrup is called "tussilago", after the Tussilago Farfera herb once used on Earth. For a stronger cough syrup, distilled numbweed is sometimes added to relieve pain. Harmless flavorings may also be added.
Compresses, poultices and plasters: Some herbs do their best work externally. They may be applied in various forms, depending on the specific herb and the ailment to be treated. In general, these treatments are most common for congestion, tension, swellings, sprains, and similar ailments. Compresses are applied hot (take care not to cause burns), and are made by soaking a towel or other cloth in an herbal tea (see above). Poultices are made from dried, crushed or powdered herbs, formed into a paste, and applied directly to the skin. These are effective for drawing out infections, and relieving muscle spasms. Plasters are similar, except they are spread on a cloth so that the medicinal paste does not touch the skin.
Oils and Ointments: Medicinal oils are the most easily prepared. The oil should be strained before storage. The process can be hastened by gently heating the oil and herb mixture. Great care must be taken to not overheat the oil blend, or the potency will be ruined. Thicker creams and ointments are make by simmering crushed dried herbs in fat. When the herbs have broken down well, the product is strained and allowed to set.
Tinctures: These are the most potent form of herbal medicines. Four ounces of powdered herb is added to 1 pint of ethyl alcohol (brandy, vodka, gin, or similar). The bottle is shaken frequently and allowed to set for at least two weeks. The alcohol will separate all the effective properties of the herb into a concentrate. The strained product should be stored in glass; proper dosage may be a few drops to a tablespoon. A further distillation of the tincture results in a "fluid extract" which may be up to ten times more potent than a tincture.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 17, 2014 6:39 am
Plants from Earth Aconite: Medicinal plant used as sedative; slows the heart and decreases blood presure. Leaves are infused into a liquid form which is usually distilled. Dosage is determined by body mass of patient and administered orally by drops into liquid of some kind. Extremely toxic. Once a commonly known poison. Aconitum napellus: perennial with smooth leafy stems; helmet-shaped flowers in white-blue-violet shadings; toothed leaves of dark green.
Agrimony: An herb which has some astringent properties, also used as an tea to relieve minor sore throat. Agrimonia Eupatoria: a hairy, deep green perennial. The aromatic flowers have a spicy smell, and have five yellowpetaled flowers on a spiky stem.
Aloe: Used to treat burns and skin problems, stomach disorders, laxative- fresh gel from the leaf is used to sooth minor burns, and as an ingredient in lotions and skin creams. Contains anesthetic, antibacterial and tissue restorative properties. Gel taken internally can relieve some forms of indigestion. Dried aloe latex (also taken from leaves) is a strong laxative, primarily for veterinary use. Also used cosmetically to treat skin blemishes and in hair products. Aloe barbadendis: grows in almost all warm climates. Thick, pulpy leaves with barbed edges. Very tall spiky yellow flowers.
Anise: Used for digestion, heartburn, coughs. Seeds used primarily for cough syrups, or as a medicinal tea to aid digestion. Pimpinella anisum: tall plant with lacy white flower.
Arnica: This plant is used primarily for ointments to reduce inflammation of sprains and bruises, and local pain relief. Flowers are used to prepare liniments. Arnica montana: daisylike yellow-orange flowers, 2-3" in diameter.
Borage: May relieve depression. Infusions and decoctions made from the flowers are used to relive fevers, bronchitis, and diarrhea. Borago officinalis: annual, selfseeding, hollow, hairy stems, small star-shaped blue flowers.
Comfrey: Effective in regenerating tissues of bruises, external wounds and sores. Effective in destroying bacteria. Leaves are mashed or steeped, but cannot withstand boiling or high temeratures. Symphytum officinale: thick hairy stemmed annual with mucilaginous compound, clusters of hanging orange/fushia flowers.
Dintale: A variety of Bella Donna or Deadly Nightshade, without the toxic efects. Leaves used to create a tincture similar to atropine, used to treat various forms of poisoning. Effective antidote to depressant poisons. Perennial- tall spiky plant with pale green leaves and bellshaped purple flowers. Most effective if harvested after flowers have fallen off.
Hyssop: (Pernese varieties called hissop and ezob.) Tincture or tea used to treat bronchitis and sore throats. Stems must be harvested before flowers open. Leaves frequently contain a penicillin-like mold effective as an antibiotic. Squarish stems, tall perennial, clustered whorls of blue-violet flowers.
Soapwort: Also Pernese variety known as redwort. Boiling leaves and roots yields a sudsy solution that has excellent antiseptic qualities. Soapwort is rather mild, and useful for reliving the itch of rashes and eczema. Redwort is harsher, and comparitively stronger, making an excellent disinfectant. Single stemmed plant, white or pinkish flowers in terminal clusters. Redwort has heavier stem, peachcolored flowers, and an astringent smell.
Sweatroot: Form of ginger- for coughs and colds, sinus congestion, used as an infusion. Teas help relieve nausea, morning sickness, and indigestion. Powdered form helpful for motion sickness.
Thyme: Antispasmodic qualities make this useful for asthma, whooping cough, stomach cramps, and dysmenorrhea. Also used as an antiseptic, and in poultices. Thymus vulgaris: perennial, many-branched shrub, tiny rolled leaves, clustered 1/4" flowers in lilacto pink. Harvest leaves before flowers bloom.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 5:45 pm
Plants from Pern Featherfern: Used as an analgesic- contains salicylate compounds related to aspirin. Bushy fern with yellow-green fronds 18-24" high, grows primarily in swampy areas. Harvested in early spring when leaves are fairly springy in texture; later in season the stems become tough and woody. Most commonly dried, then powdered. Powders are mixed with liquid to administer.
Feather Herb: Used as a febrifuge (reduces fevers). similar to earth herb yarrow, commonly used as a tea for this purpose. Also contains analgesic compounds. Crushed leaves used in paste form to relieve toothache. Powdered feather herb is effective in clotting blood in gashes and from surgical procedures. Short bushy plant with broad deep green leaves and tiny clusters of brilliant blue flowers on tall spikes. Prefers rocky areas.
Fellis: Powerful sedative. Distilled from fruit of fellis tree. Used as an anesthesia for surgical procedures and to promote sleep for injured persons. Taste of the distillate is frequently disguised in fruit juices. Powdered form can be used as local anesthesia, or remixed with water to produce an anesthesiac gas that can be inhaled. Leaves can also be used as a sedative if chewed, but care must be used not to overdose. Tree is relatively short, with sharp spearhead leaves, and tends to grow rapidly to maturity. Flowers are sweet-smelling. Bark is occasionally distilled for use as a local astringent for veterinary use.
Feverease: A delicate herb, native to Pern, which when either brewed into a tea or eaten raw can help to quickly reduce fever. Also helps relieve migraine. Leaves are chewed as an analgesic, but have a bitter taste. The leaves do have a sweet, fruity smell that work well in lotions as an insect repellant. Perennial, broad leaves, tall stems with tiny, daisy-like flowers in reds, oranges, yellows and pinks.
Needlethorn: Used to administer some forms of medicinal compounds. Long, very strong, thin hollow thorns are inserted into stainless steel or glass syringes, making a disposable needle for injections, and for tapping blood or other fluids from the body. Best needlebushes grow in a small area of Ista, and are harvested in autumn. Needlethorn spines in spring and summer are poisonous. A single large bush can provide thousands of needlethorns in varying sizes. Needlethorn spines can pierce and aborb the essential juices from anything that comes near them during their poisonous phase. In that period, the bush has an odor that attracts snakes and insects. By autumn, the stem has stored enough moisture and food. The thorns are sealed away from the main stem and the poison dries up and loses all potency. To harvest, one clears a small area near the bottom of a stem, wraps a hand around the stem (without touching the stem proper), and strips upwards. Most needlethorns grow in proximity to the ging tree, which has several useful points. First, needlethorn is ready to harvest when the ging tree is in bloom. Second, the tough, spongy frond of the ging provide an easily available package for freshly harvested needlethorn. One needs only to pull off a frond, lay a handfull of needlethorn on the petiole, and trim the frond into a rectagular shape. The oozing sap is extremely sticky and dries quickly. Folding the leaf around the thorn and sealing it with its own sap will result in a neat package.
Numbweed: Powerful topical analgesic. Bushy plant grows in open plain areas. Thick spongy leaves are harvested and boiled in large kettles. The chopped leaves must be stewed at least three days to reduce into a pulp. Another full day is required to strain pulp, and the resultant juice must be further reduced to proper consistency for use in its most common form-- a strongly analgesic cream or ointment similar to Novocain. Liquid form is sometimes distilled for injection for severe injuries or dental usage. Extremely pure salve is rendered into a powdered form for internal use. In an emergency, fresh bruised leaves may also be used for pain relief, but the raw sap can cause blisters and rash. A major part of Pernese pharmacology, but preparation is regarded with trepidation because of the horrid smell.
Sweatroot: Form of ginger- for coughs and colds, sinus congestion, used as an infusion. Teas help relieve nausea, morning sickness, and indigestion. Powdered form helpful for motion sickness.
Tuft Grass: Especially effective in treatment of fevers. Seeds from tall tuft stems are used in teas and tinctures. The heart of the plant, just above the root ball, is dried and made into powder that is the most effective treatment for firehead fever. Grows in large, bush-like clumps in marshy areas.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 5:48 pm
Avian Species on Pern Blurwings: These are the smallest of wherries, found in the tropics of the Southern Continent. Barely the length of a man's finger, blurwings have brilliantly colored plumage and long pointed beaks that they use to probe flowers in search of nectar, hovering in front of the bloom on tiny wings. Males feed only on nectar, but females have slightly more varied if lesser known diet - in order to produce eggs they must find a more protein-rich food source during the breeding season and so use their long beaks to take blood from beach-breeding longnecks or any other large greenblooded animal they can find.
Divers: These are slender fish-eating wherries not dissimilar to the Terran cormorant. Sociable, if noisy animals, they may be tamed if caught young and in some areas they are trained to fish for their owners, being fitted with loose collars that prevent them from swallowing larger fish. Fairly intelligent, they have long toothed bills, dense feathers and - in the case of the domesticated examples -- an air of almost palpable arrogance.
Ice Wherries: This is a name given to a wide range of flightless fishing wherries that live in the colder regions of Pern. The wings of ice wherries are adapted as strong paddles that propel the animal through the water as it hunts, seizing fish with its beak and strong foreclaws. A good, if fatty, source of meat, ice wherries are hunted by longnecks and seawhers.
Lizardhawks: Bearing some resemblance to Terran hawks, lizardhawks are a group of species spread across Pern; the tropical examples sometimes take firelizards in the wild, hence the name, although tunnelsnakes and other wherries are the more usual prey. Reasonably intelligent carnivores, they may be domesticated and trained if caught young and are sometimes used to hunt other wherries.
Longnecks: These are air-breathing carnivores, feeding on fish, spiderclaws and watercrawlers. A small, often beaked, head is balanced at the end of a long, sinuous neck connected to a thick, streamlined body; there is one pair of flippers, a heavy, vertically flattened tail used for propulsion, and a prominent dorsal ridge that is often fairly ornate in some marine species. Found in all of Pern's major seas and oceans, marine longnecks are egg-layers, the females seeking out traditional beaches to lay their two eggs and raise their young to the point where they can swim and feed independently. There are also several species of longneck found in freshwater rivers and lakes, these tend to be much smaller and shorter-necked than their marine relatives and are almost all capable of giving live birth.
Lopers: These are the largest of wherries, flightless herbivores with small, almost vestigial wings that are used by the males in mating displays. Reaching up to twice the height of a man and named for the steady gait that allows them to cover huge distances, lopers have a very wide distribution and can eat almost any kind of plant matter. An important meat animal with an impressive breeding rate, lopers may be farmed; indeed, one of the smaller species is the familiar ostrich-sized "farm wherry". Color and density of plumage differ between species and even within species across their geographical range.
Paddlers: These are a group of flightless tropical species similar in body form and lifestyle to the icewherries of colder regions, although the two groups are not closely related. The plumage of paddlers is much sparser thin the fine, dense coat of the cold-water animals.
Slashers: Southern carnivores, most species of slasher are flightless, although some of the smaller types still retain the use of their wings. Ranging in size from creatures the size of a chicken to those as tall as a human, slashers have an impressive set of slicing teeth -- the beak is either much reduced or completely absent - but their main weapons are their claws. Both the fore and hindlimbs are equipped with sharp, strong claws that are used in bringing down prey; the usual hunting method involves the prey being seized by the foreclaws before being disemboweled by the powerful hindlimbs. Many slashers are pack hunters and are considered dangerous, taking farm animals as readily as those in the wild -- they would probably attack a human if given the opportunity. Fortunately, they are wary of dragons.
Sprinter: Somewhat smaller than the lopers to which they are closely related, sprinters are slender flightless wherries that can be as tall as a man in the larger species. Omnivores with toothed beaks, they are nervy animals continually on the lookout for danger, fleeing at high speed should they feel threatened -- they are one of the few creatures than can outrun a wildcat.
Stabbers: Slender, long-necked wherries with long beaks, stabbers frequent the edges of rivers and lakes, feeding on small fish and watercrawlers that they pluck from the shallows.
Waterwherries: the Pernese equivalent of ducks and geese, waterwherries of various species are common sights on rivers and lakes. They are sometimes kept in captivity for their eggs and meat; the feathers are also used to stuff upholstery and pillows.
Wherry: Wherries are Pern's native birds, with the middle set of limbs adapted into membranous wings. Most have a covering of "featherfur" (insulating but not too similar to the feathers of Terran birds) covering their bodies, including the wings. The powerful hind limbs are adapted for springing or running, while the forelimbs are used for grasping. Most wherries have beaks of some variety, but some also have grasping teeth -- they do not have chewing teeth as they have a crop containing grinding stones. Wherries come in all shapes and sizes and there are many thousands of different species inhabiting many ecological niches. Many have lost the ability to fly and are instead powerful runners; several of these species have been domesticated and are farmed extensively on both the Northern and Southern Continents for their meat, eggs and hides ("wherhide" is actually the tanned skin of large running wherries). Others are taken from the wild as food animals for both humans and, in the case of the larger animals, dragons. Not all wherries are herbivorous however. Carnivores include those that feed on fish (such as divers) or small animals and wherries (such as lizardhawks). Larger carnivores capable of killing animals such as herdbeasts do exist though, generally in the more untamed regions of the South.
Whitewings: Seawherries that inhabit coastal areas, nesting in cliffs and feeding on fish. A common sight around most coasts, there are actually several species of whitewing, all very similar though they can be told apart by their differing sizes and details of their plumage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 6:14 pm
Aquatic Species on Pern Bigmouths: These are large -- very large -- fish analogous to Terran basking sharks, feeding on the tiny creatures that drift freely in the waters of Pern's oceans by straining them out of the water using fine gillrakes. Several species of bigmouth, generally smaller than those of the great oceans, are found in the Sea of Asov, where they are hunted by the locals. Not known for their intelligence, bigmouths give birth to live young rather than eggs and are valued meat animals. Bigmouths are usually drab brown or grey-blue in colour and have a horizontally flattened tail.
Bloodfish: Primitive, heavily armored sea fish, bloodfish attach themselves to a host animal by sinking a long proboscis into its flesh and locking into a blood vessel from which it then feeds. All attached bloodfish are female -- for the first Turn of life the 'fish are free-living, feeding on smaller creatures and the eggs of other fish, and in this phase they are male, maturing quickly and mating with any attached adult female whose host brings them close. Hosts are selected because the bloodfish detects their body heat -- they do not discriminate between Pernese and Terran species, although a bloodfish feeding on a red-blooded host is quickly sterilized and cannot breed. To a small host, a bloodfish is a painful and dangerous parasite, but a larger creature such as a bigmouth or dimglow may barely notice them.
Bonefish: Large marine fish with bony nodules and scales embedded in its skin. Edible, it can easily break out of fishing nets and so much be caught using a strong line. The scales are often used in jewelry in Seaholds.
Dimglows: Large aquatic air-breathing herbivores, dimglows are named for their somewhat limited intellectual capacity. Marine species are found around the oceanic coasts and the Southern inland sea, feeding on sea plants; freshwater species inhabit deeper rivers and lakes. Secretive animals, dimglows never leave the water and are valued for their meat and oil, for which they are hunted. They are fairly squat in appearance with low dorsal ridges, six limbs (the front pair adapted for pulling foliage towards the mouth, the two rear pairs as flippers) and a horizontally flattened, fluked tail.
Eels: Like their Terran counterparts, Pernese eels are long, sinuous fish that are highly regarded as food animals. They are found in both fresh and salt water and some species can grow to great size.
Fingerling: Small minnow-like fish native to Pern.
Flatfish: Fish that, as the name suggests, have a flat body form. Usually found hugging the sea floor, Pernese flatfish resemble Terran rays more than plaice or sole -- there are many species, the majority of which are important food fish.
Grabbers: An unusual group of fish, grabbers are one of the most important groups of marine carnivore. All have powerful, vertically flattened tails and two pairs of fins, one at the midpoint of the body, the other towards the rear. There are also a pair of front limbs adapted into grabbing claws not dissimilar to those of a tunnelsnake -- when not in use, these tuck into a streamlined pouch below and behind the formidably toothed mouth. When hunting, a grabber uses the claws to seize the prey, which may be a whole fish, or a chunk of an unwary larger creature. Some oceanic species can grow to huge size, those of the coastal regions are generally smaller but can be dangerous to humans as they lurk amongst the rocks, waiting for prey to pass by.
Greystalks: Shelled marine animals that attach themselves to rocks by a long, fleshy stalk, leaving the rest of the body to catch small particles from the water. They are edible, if not entirely pleasant looking.
Orangegills: Small, numerous fish that live in huge schools, feeding on smaller animals such as fliptails. Caught in nets, they are a valued food source in coastal holds; they are also frequently used as bait for larger fish.
Packtail: Squat, bottom-dwelling sea fish with a thick fleshy tail and poisonous spines along its back. A valued food fish, although care must be taken in handling it.
Redbellies: Large, meaty river fish that breed in the shallows of lakes, often migrating hundreds of miles to do so. Adults sometimes venture into salt water to feed, but always return to fresh in order to lay their eggs. An important food fish, especially during the breeding season when they are easily caught. They prefer colder waters.
Rockmite: A native crustacean similar to Terran crabs. Good eating and very common, with fresh and saltwater subspecies available.
Sandrocks: Clam-like animals that live under the sand of beaches, from where they may be dug up at low tide.
Seapickles: Elongated creatures covered in sharp spines to protect their soft bodies, seapickles browse the sea floor in tropical regions. They are edible, although human divers must take care in collecting them.
Seawhers: Air-breathing predators, seawhers are probably the most intelligent of the native inhabitants of Pern's ocean. Although some species are smaller than dolphins, these tend to be shy and are rarely seen by humans. The larger species are better known and are Pern's equivalent to the Terran orca -- if somewhat less friendly. Those of the oceans travel in large pods, hunting bigmouths and dimglows, although they have been known to "finish off" boats and ships damaged in storms and will willingly eat any human or dolphins foolish or unlucky enough to get too close. However, they will not approach undamaged vessels, preferring to keep their distance. Seawhers can be highly protective of other pod members; hunting seawhers from dragons is not an option as a dragon in the water would be seen as fair game...Seawhers are streamlined creatures with a powerful vertically flattened tail that is used for propulsion. The rear limbs are reduced to solid stabilizers; the middle limbs are adapted as large steering fins while the front limbs are much reduced to small flaps in front of the main fins, and are used only in mating. A series of dorsal ridges run along the back, with one elongated to a triangular fin at the midpoint. Female seawhers give birth to live young, usually two at a time, and the whole pod is involved in raising the young.
Seasnakes: The creatures most commonly referred to as "seasnakes" are actually very large predatory eels that sometimes hunt in packs in deep water. The name is also sometimes applied to certain species of tunnelsnakes that hunt in water -- some of these are highly poisonous and should be avoided.
Shipfish: Also, dolphin. The people of our Pern, have only recently become aware of the dolphin's intelligence. (Some people still do not believe in it.) Dolphins, together with those of the Dolphineer raft, play a key role on Pern's seas. Usually beloved by Pernese, and are never fished. Note that "Shipfish" is considered insulting by the dolphins themselves, though it is still in wide use by those who are not in close contact with them.
Skimmers: Large, flat sea fish that feed on small floating creatures by skimming them out of the water. Similar to the Terran manta ray.
Yellowstripe: A small, native fish with yellow racing stripes.
Yellowfins: A medium-sized native fish with bright yellow fins.
Yellowtail: A small, native fish with a yellow tail and dorsal stripe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 6:15 pm
Insect Species on Pern Bellclaws: Not dissimilar to spiderclaws, bellclaws are more rounded animals with a hard carapace and large, powerful claws with a distinctively bulbous shape. They are highly regarded as a food animal and are caught for that purpose where they can be found along rivers and coastlines.
Buzz Fly: A stinging fly native to Pern.
Crawler: Biting six-legged pests native to Pern; web builders.
Earthworm: Self explanatory. Native to Pern
Firefly: Small, pretty native insects, similar to the Terran variety.
Flameflies: Nocturnal fireflies found in the tropical and semi-tropical latitudes of both Northern and Southern continents.
Fliptails: Small, hard-skinned animals related to the bellclaws and spiderclaws, fliptails have a curved body that they spring straight in order to rapidly escape predators. Found in both fresh and salt water, they are an important food source for many creatures and can be eaten by humans once cooked and shelled. They are often found in huge numbers and may be caught using fine nets.
Gossamer Spinner: Spiders
Grubs: Grubs are a bio-engineered lifeform created by early colonists to protect the land from Thread predation. They are unintelligent, sickly grey, limbless creatures which resemble large maggots. During Intervals, grubs survive on parasites which feed off of plant life, turning the soil as they feed, providing an excellent organic stimulation for growth so that grubbed soils result in healthier crop yields. On Kadanzer's Pern, grubs are almost mythical. Centuries ago, an unknown virus swept through the grub population and nearly wiped them out. Only very few survived, and they are not as reproductively successful as they once were. They are almost never found in the wild.
Roller: The Pernese equivalent of the wood louse. Pests
Sandworm: Self explanatory. Native desert-dwelling pests.
Spiderclaw: Enclosed in a hardened carapace, spiderclaws lives on the sea floor, hunting and scavenging for food. Most have small bodies with long legs tipped with small claws, but some are more elongated, almost resembling oversized fliptails. An important food animal.
Trundlebug: A native insect which does the pollinating work done on Earth by dung-beetles, bees, earthworms, and ladybugs (all of which died out on Pern).
Vtol: Another native insect, one which can leap into flight from a vertical position.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 6:16 pm
Mammal Species on Pern Burden: An ox (NOT burden beast)
Canine: Also, dog. Canines have been carefully bred to fulfill a number of needs, from utility (herding, hunting, guarding holds against wherries and snakes, kitchen labor), recreation (racing, fighting), and sometimes even as extra protein for the stew pot. Even lap varieties have been bred to serve as ladies' pets.
Feline: Also, cat. Commonly kept to hunt local vermin.
Herdbeast Also,cattle; polled and non-polled strains both exist. They have been bred into varieties to provide an excess of milk as well as meat and hide.
Runnerbeast: Also, horse or runner. Draft, riding, racing, and pony types have all been bred. On our version of Pern, 'Horse' is just as common a term as 'runnerbeast', and both are used interchangeably.
Snowsweepers: Large squat animals completely covered in dense, dark grey fur, snowsweepers are herbivores that feed in the tundra regions of the South. They are named for the manner in which a family group of five or six animals will form a line and move slowly forward over the ground, browsing continuously as they go. They are usually accompanied by hairpeckers, small wherries that pluck parasites from the 'sweepers fur and which act as lookouts, warning their hosts of the approach of predators such as icewhers, slashers and wild dogs. If predators do attack, the snowsweepers form into a tight huddle and defend themselves with their broad, hardened beaks and their forelimbs, which are adapted into curved and cutting blades.
Springers: short-bodied herbivores with stiff tails held above the ground, springers have large hind legs which give them a characteristic bounding gait. Ranging in size from mouse- to sheep-sized, they are found throughout the warmer regions of the Southern Continent, where they feed on ground plants and nest in burrows beneath the ground, often in family groups. Springers and edible and are often taken from the wild as food animals; firelizards often feed on the smaller species that humans regard as pests of crops.
Wildcat: Wildcats are a genetically engineered predatory feline which were created with the intentions of developing an intelligent, Impressionable guard/hunt companion. Unfortunately, the scientist doing the experimentation wasn't a qualified geneticist, and his prototypes killed him before escaping into the wilds of the Southern Continent. Wildcats, as they have been named by the most recent settlers of Southern, are about 3.5 feet tall at the shoulder and about 5 feet long, with the conformation of a jaguar/cheetah hybrid. Its coat is a rich, tawny yellow, spotted with black rosettes. The body is massive and powerfully muscled, with a relatively small head and long legs built for explosive sprinting power. Over short distances, the wildcat can attain speeds of up to 45 mph; it is also an adept climber and excellent swimmer, making it capable of taking a range of aquatic, arboreal, and terrestrial prey. Wildcats are aggressive, territorial, and highly intelligent. Pairs will mate for life; unmated individuals will remain solitary. In the tropical areas of Southern Continent, they appear to mate in any season, although elsewhere they mate during the spring. After a gestation period of eight months, the female of a mated pair will bear one to two cubs, who take an estimated three years to gain full maturity. The lifespan of a wildcat is estimated to be approximately 30 years; territorial disputes between wildcats often result in death. Wildcats can be tamed if captured as kittens. If taken into human care early enough, wildcats will imprint upon humans, making them reliable and highly intelligent hunting companions/guardians. However, if taken after the kittens have imprinted on their natural kin, wildcats will be very difficult to train and highly likely to turn on their trainers -- which is nearly always fatal for the trainer. In the wild, wildcats usually avoid humans and human habitations, but they will hunt and kill lone humans who stray into their territory or prey upon domestic livestock. Therefore, humans often hunt or drive away wildcats whenever the two species encounter one another.
Woolbearer: Also, sheep or woollies. Several subspecies have been bred, but none are highly regarded for anything resembling intelligence.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 6:17 pm
Reptile Species on Pern Crawlie: A native lizardlike creature similar to the Terran gecko; they have six legs with bulbous toes adapted for sticking to sheer walls and ceilings, and limited colorchanging ability. They mainly eat insects, capturing them with sticky tongues. They live almost exclusively in tropical areas and can become pests if they grow too numerous, though generally they are kept in check by various breeds of tunnelsnakes and other predators.
Fishersnakes – large tunnelsnakes with short, dense fur, fishersnakes inhabit the edges of rivers, streams and lakes. Not especially well equipped as swimmers, the 'snakes have elongated forelimbs with huge claws and also have excellent eyesight; they choose fishing points beside their chosen body of water and stand perfectly still, waiting for a fish to pass by. Once the prey has been spotted, the forelimbs are used to quickly grab the fish from the water to be dispatched by the 'snake's teeth before being consumed.
Rocksnakes: A generic term applied to a large number of species spread all across Pern, rocksnakes are generally slender, agile animals that life amongst the rocks and in caves -- these are the 'snakes that most often plague human settlements. They will eat almost anything the come across and can cause massive spoilage to stored food. Some are poisonous and will bite if disturbed.
Treehoppers: These are furred, arboreal 'snakes with long, heavily furred tails -- they strongly resemble six-legged squirrels. Found wherever there are trees for them to feed from and live in, treehoppers are widely considered to be vermin, causing damage to orchards and eating their way through nut and berry crops. They are a favorite prey of domestic firelizards and cats, and are often found in stews, but despite this they breed so rapidly that their numbers never seem to reduce. Treehoppers can grow to the length of a man's arm and range in color from pale grey-brown through russet to near-black. In temperate regions they hibernate during the winter months.
Tunnel Snake: Tunnelsnakes are almost the generic Pernese animal, showing the warm-blooded, six-limbed body plan from which all the "higher" creatures have developed. Some are scaled, others have smooth hide or are furred. They can differ wildly in diet and lifestyle -- herbivores, omnivores, carnivores, scavengers, all are represented -- although all are egg-layers. Most are pests, although some are edible.
Whersport: The closest natural relatives to the firelizards, whersports are a much less notable species with little in the way of mental abilities. They have only two colour phases -- brown in the male and green in the female, with the smooth hide having a far more mottled appearance than the firelizards -- and are larger than their cousins, with the large males reaching the length of a man's arm. Usually shy animals, they live in tropical forests where mated pairs defend hunting territories -- they take small wherries and other animals, but the bulk of their diet is made up of the eggs of other species and, especially, crawlers. Whersports have heavily clawed forelimbs that they use to rip open the rock-like nests of certain tropical crawlers, collecting the inhabitants with their long sticky tongues. Their wings are functional but they rarely use them except in emergency -- they are poor fliers and vulnerable to aerial predators, rarely leaving cover if they can help it. They are edible and their flesh is considered a delicacy by humans, reflecting the fact that they are not easy to find and catch.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
