This is a list of all known fauna native to TPA canon!
DRAGONKIND
Considered by many to be the smartest creatures on Pern, each dragonrelative possesses a natural intelligence to rival a person's, though a flits' is definitely a more foreign interpretation of intelligent than a dragon's. They are steadfast companions once impressed-to.
Dragon: The titular species of the family, dragons are sentient, sapient nonhuman persons. They require a bond to a single human to survive, and will between in short order without one. Once that bond has been made, a second bond cannot be done– if the rider dies, the dragon dies with them.
Firelizard: Tiny and independent, and just as intelligent and independent as any dragon, most flits can only be lured with food when they are quite young, though sometimes acting in kindness towards one of them can ingratiate an older one towards the person who helped them. They can choose to abandon or break a bond at any time, and will do so if mistreated– something unique among dragonkin. They can rebond, but seem to be fairly reluctant to.
Wher: Squat, muscular, and only barely capable of gliding, whers are sentient, sapient nonhuman persons like their cousins. They are impressed-to by blooding, though a weaker bond can be made by feeding. They seem to be able to live at least twice the natural lifespan of a human, and can rebond many times.
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Fauna of Pern
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Fel - Thread Conqueror
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Fauna of Pern
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Fel - Thread Conqueror
- Posts: 9615
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2018 5:33 pm
- Location: The Frigid North
HERDBEASTS
Prolific breeders and generally herbivorous, herdbeasts are a collection of animals meant to be raised for their meat, as well as other valuable resources. Milk, fur, wool, and bone and antler are all cultivated from these animals, and all are destined for a stewpot when they reach the end of their productive lives.
Bovine: Massive animals through and through, these are the staple herbivore herded and intended to keep dragons fed. They have large, milky udders that can make them useful for milk, though many of the bovines sent weyrways are breeds meant to be meaty and grow up fast.
Cameline: Long-necked, cloven-hooved, long-furred animals usable for their long, soft fur, their meat, and their milk. They are also occasionally used for burden due to their aptitude for climbing. Many consider them to be the useful compromise between a caprine and a taurhine.
Caprine: Small, spry, and with a reputation for being maltempered, caprines are generally kept on scrubby or especially hilly land because of their hardy nature. They are kept for their milk and meat, and are a popular choice for feeding small dragons.
Lapine: Sporting antlers, long ears, and long, powerful legs, lapines hop around and graze on soft grasses and flowers. They are roughly the size of a midsized canine, and are kept for their exceptionally soft fur, their antler sheds, and their meat, though with how cute they are, it isn't uncommon for them to be spared the stewpot. They generally have two to four offspring at a time.
Ovine: Possessing uniquely curly and woolen fur, ovines are one of the mainstays of weavercraft. They produce good meat as well, and often will make it onto the table before their meat is too old and tough to be easily edible.
Porcine: Possessing strongly-flavoured meat due to their omnivorous diets, porcine are kept for their voracious tendency to eat just about anything. They fatten up well, and different cuts of their meat can be cured and prepared in ways such that they taste like they belong to different animals entirely.
Prolific breeders and generally herbivorous, herdbeasts are a collection of animals meant to be raised for their meat, as well as other valuable resources. Milk, fur, wool, and bone and antler are all cultivated from these animals, and all are destined for a stewpot when they reach the end of their productive lives.
Bovine: Massive animals through and through, these are the staple herbivore herded and intended to keep dragons fed. They have large, milky udders that can make them useful for milk, though many of the bovines sent weyrways are breeds meant to be meaty and grow up fast.
Cameline: Long-necked, cloven-hooved, long-furred animals usable for their long, soft fur, their meat, and their milk. They are also occasionally used for burden due to their aptitude for climbing. Many consider them to be the useful compromise between a caprine and a taurhine.
Caprine: Small, spry, and with a reputation for being maltempered, caprines are generally kept on scrubby or especially hilly land because of their hardy nature. They are kept for their milk and meat, and are a popular choice for feeding small dragons.
Lapine: Sporting antlers, long ears, and long, powerful legs, lapines hop around and graze on soft grasses and flowers. They are roughly the size of a midsized canine, and are kept for their exceptionally soft fur, their antler sheds, and their meat, though with how cute they are, it isn't uncommon for them to be spared the stewpot. They generally have two to four offspring at a time.
Ovine: Possessing uniquely curly and woolen fur, ovines are one of the mainstays of weavercraft. They produce good meat as well, and often will make it onto the table before their meat is too old and tough to be easily edible.
Porcine: Possessing strongly-flavoured meat due to their omnivorous diets, porcine are kept for their voracious tendency to eat just about anything. They fatten up well, and different cuts of their meat can be cured and prepared in ways such that they taste like they belong to different animals entirely.
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Fel - Thread Conqueror
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DRAYBEASTS
Though the term is often used specifically in reference to Taurhines, draybeasts are any beast used and kept specifically for burden purposes. As their lifestyles are not condusive for producing good-quality meat or materials, they are generally considered unfit for human consumption, and will either be heavily stewed or sold to wherhandlers at the end of their productive lifespans.
Cameline: Long-necked, cloven-hooved, long-furred animals suitable for burden over particularly difficult terrain, or at very high altitudes. Many consider them to be the useful compromise between a caprine and a taurhine, seeing as the former are ill-suited to burden, and the latter are clumsy and slow.
Runner: Also called runnerbeasts, these hoofed mammals are a mainstay of long-distance runnercrafting, when drums or long-distance signals will not suffice. They are also used to pull carts and carriages in teams, and can be employed and trained in a variety of other fashions.
Taurhine: Often simply called draybeasts, these massive creatures are the best-known beasts of burden on Pern. They have pebbly hides and are exceptionally sturdy and tireless, often used for plowing, wagon-pulling, and other intense physical activities.
Though the term is often used specifically in reference to Taurhines, draybeasts are any beast used and kept specifically for burden purposes. As their lifestyles are not condusive for producing good-quality meat or materials, they are generally considered unfit for human consumption, and will either be heavily stewed or sold to wherhandlers at the end of their productive lifespans.
Cameline: Long-necked, cloven-hooved, long-furred animals suitable for burden over particularly difficult terrain, or at very high altitudes. Many consider them to be the useful compromise between a caprine and a taurhine, seeing as the former are ill-suited to burden, and the latter are clumsy and slow.
Runner: Also called runnerbeasts, these hoofed mammals are a mainstay of long-distance runnercrafting, when drums or long-distance signals will not suffice. They are also used to pull carts and carriages in teams, and can be employed and trained in a variety of other fashions.
Taurhine: Often simply called draybeasts, these massive creatures are the best-known beasts of burden on Pern. They have pebbly hides and are exceptionally sturdy and tireless, often used for plowing, wagon-pulling, and other intense physical activities.
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Fel - Thread Conqueror
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- Joined: Thu May 24, 2018 5:33 pm
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COMPANION ANIMALS
Often seen as pets or family members, these animals nevertheless serve useful purposes in the bulk of Pernese society. Rare is the canine or feline that lives its entire existance as a lap-pet, but they do exist, mostly among the circles of rich idle in Holder society.
Canine: Ranging from small ratter to massive pursuit animal, canines are panting, wetnosed companion animals. Predatory animals with forward-facing vision, they are often employed for herding, retrieval, ratting, and so on.
Feline, Domestic: Although they are much more limited in their capabilities than canines are, felines are excellent mousers, and are also adept at keeping the tunnelsnake population down. They are largely independent in nature, and farms and weyrs both keep populations up because they mostly mind themselves.
Runner: Not just a one-note beast of burden, runners can be trained to help people hunt or fight. They are exceptionally well-tempered and learn and retain things remarkably well, and were used in the war as mounts.
Hunting Bird: A group of varying avian hunters, often referred to as hawks, these beasts are training in the assistance of hunting small prey. They can be aggressive and have a wild streak, but are highly trainable.
Often seen as pets or family members, these animals nevertheless serve useful purposes in the bulk of Pernese society. Rare is the canine or feline that lives its entire existance as a lap-pet, but they do exist, mostly among the circles of rich idle in Holder society.
Canine: Ranging from small ratter to massive pursuit animal, canines are panting, wetnosed companion animals. Predatory animals with forward-facing vision, they are often employed for herding, retrieval, ratting, and so on.
Feline, Domestic: Although they are much more limited in their capabilities than canines are, felines are excellent mousers, and are also adept at keeping the tunnelsnake population down. They are largely independent in nature, and farms and weyrs both keep populations up because they mostly mind themselves.
Runner: Not just a one-note beast of burden, runners can be trained to help people hunt or fight. They are exceptionally well-tempered and learn and retain things remarkably well, and were used in the war as mounts.
Hunting Bird: A group of varying avian hunters, often referred to as hawks, these beasts are training in the assistance of hunting small prey. They can be aggressive and have a wild streak, but are highly trainable.
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Fel - Thread Conqueror
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- Joined: Thu May 24, 2018 5:33 pm
- Location: The Frigid North
WILD ANIMALS
Regardless of whether they are truly wild or simply domestic breeds gone feral, these creatures pose some sort of threat or bother to the people of Pern. In the wild, they are best left to their own devices, and most have limited-at-best potential for being rehabilitated and brought into Hold or Weyr life.
Feline, Wild, Northern: Also called bobtailed cats, these wild felines aren't terribly similar to their distant domestic relatives! Instead of hunting prey exclusively smaller than themselves, they will eat livestock and attack sleeping or young whers, and some of them are aggressive enough to attack humans.
Feline, Wild, Southern: Also known as spotties, these wild felines far outsize their northern counterparts. They have shorter fur with a spotted pattern, a rangier build, and instead of being solitary hunt in packs. This makes them exceedingly dangerous, even for fully-grown dragons. Little is known about the social structure of their packs, due to their propensity toward attacking observers.
Firelizard, Wild: The smallest of dragon-relatives, unimpressed wild firelizards are a different sort of creature than their domesticated cousins. They are shy of humans, and will viciously defend their brooding females– stay away from tropical beaches when they have females nesting, or at least don't go charging in to disturb them.
Mouse (Sermurine): Perhaps one of the most curious creatures on Pern, mice are characterized by their uniquely-brown blood. Six-limbed, like most green-blooded creatures, but nevertheless furred like only red-blooded ones are, some people guess that at some point, these paddle-tailed pests were bred from red- and green-blooded stock. The oldest moldering texts in the Harperhall seem to support this, mentioning that the 'hybrids' were called Sermurine rats or mice, but more details escaped the scribers trying to find or reconstruct much more about them.
Snake, Sand: Six-legged creatures spread throughout Pern, they are a burrowing and elusive pest species that used to be some of the largest organisms on Pern, along with wherries. They live along coasts, waterfronts, and in deserts, but generally do not swim unless they absolutely must.
Snake, Tunnel: Similar to sand-snakes but with bigger eyes, these pets are tunnellers that are renowned for their ability to spoil stores and chew through wood and hide in search of food.
Snake, Water: The most unique , and the only commonly venomous ones, these often enough interbreed with tunnel- and sandsnakes, and thrive in aquatic environments. They mostly eat fish, some even bigger than themselves, paralyzing them with their painful venom. Their hybrids are often also venomous.
Wher, Feral: Unlike their more domestic cousins, feral and wild whers eschew human contact in favor for a strong pack structure. They can be very dangerous to approach, because most humans approach them with the intent to bond, harm, kill, or steal their eggs.
Wherry: Avian gliders with richly-nutritious meat, wherries taste primarily of whatever their diets consist of. Most wild ones living further in on the continent will taste vaguely of meat or grain, while the shore-dwelling ones have a fishy characteristic to them. They can be dangerous to approach during nesting season, as they are fiercely territorial when they have eggs or chicks growing.
Hawk, Feral: A group of varying avian hunters, often referred to as hawks, these beasts are sharp-eyed hunters of small prey in the wild. They can be dangerous and may attack when approaching a nest, and are somewhat territorial. If an egg is captured, it may be trained into a companion. (Goshawks, Hawks, Kestrals, Eagles)
Regardless of whether they are truly wild or simply domestic breeds gone feral, these creatures pose some sort of threat or bother to the people of Pern. In the wild, they are best left to their own devices, and most have limited-at-best potential for being rehabilitated and brought into Hold or Weyr life.
Feline, Wild, Northern: Also called bobtailed cats, these wild felines aren't terribly similar to their distant domestic relatives! Instead of hunting prey exclusively smaller than themselves, they will eat livestock and attack sleeping or young whers, and some of them are aggressive enough to attack humans.
Feline, Wild, Southern: Also known as spotties, these wild felines far outsize their northern counterparts. They have shorter fur with a spotted pattern, a rangier build, and instead of being solitary hunt in packs. This makes them exceedingly dangerous, even for fully-grown dragons. Little is known about the social structure of their packs, due to their propensity toward attacking observers.
Firelizard, Wild: The smallest of dragon-relatives, unimpressed wild firelizards are a different sort of creature than their domesticated cousins. They are shy of humans, and will viciously defend their brooding females– stay away from tropical beaches when they have females nesting, or at least don't go charging in to disturb them.
Mouse (Sermurine): Perhaps one of the most curious creatures on Pern, mice are characterized by their uniquely-brown blood. Six-limbed, like most green-blooded creatures, but nevertheless furred like only red-blooded ones are, some people guess that at some point, these paddle-tailed pests were bred from red- and green-blooded stock. The oldest moldering texts in the Harperhall seem to support this, mentioning that the 'hybrids' were called Sermurine rats or mice, but more details escaped the scribers trying to find or reconstruct much more about them.
Snake, Sand: Six-legged creatures spread throughout Pern, they are a burrowing and elusive pest species that used to be some of the largest organisms on Pern, along with wherries. They live along coasts, waterfronts, and in deserts, but generally do not swim unless they absolutely must.
Snake, Tunnel: Similar to sand-snakes but with bigger eyes, these pets are tunnellers that are renowned for their ability to spoil stores and chew through wood and hide in search of food.
Snake, Water: The most unique , and the only commonly venomous ones, these often enough interbreed with tunnel- and sandsnakes, and thrive in aquatic environments. They mostly eat fish, some even bigger than themselves, paralyzing them with their painful venom. Their hybrids are often also venomous.
Wher, Feral: Unlike their more domestic cousins, feral and wild whers eschew human contact in favor for a strong pack structure. They can be very dangerous to approach, because most humans approach them with the intent to bond, harm, kill, or steal their eggs.
Wherry: Avian gliders with richly-nutritious meat, wherries taste primarily of whatever their diets consist of. Most wild ones living further in on the continent will taste vaguely of meat or grain, while the shore-dwelling ones have a fishy characteristic to them. They can be dangerous to approach during nesting season, as they are fiercely territorial when they have eggs or chicks growing.
Hawk, Feral: A group of varying avian hunters, often referred to as hawks, these beasts are sharp-eyed hunters of small prey in the wild. They can be dangerous and may attack when approaching a nest, and are somewhat territorial. If an egg is captured, it may be trained into a companion. (Goshawks, Hawks, Kestrals, Eagles)
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Fel - Thread Conqueror
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- Joined: Thu May 24, 2018 5:33 pm
- Location: The Frigid North
INSECTS
Making up the majority of land-dwelling lifeforms, insects are characterized by their carapaces, multitude of legs, short lifespans, and general tendency to be pests and bothers to the people of Pern.
Buzzer: spindly insects covered in a large number of long hairs and thin wings. They process pollen and nectar into a spicy, almost molasses-ey substance, and gather it into 'honeypots', rocklike containers of spit-and-sand intended to keep the stuff from flooding their colonies. They are codependent on and only live around places that can grow air bushes (a plant with a partially-exposed root system). The honeypots can be carefully tapped, and in a year, a single bush-colony can produce enough surplus honey to produce a barrel of spicy mead.
Firefly: Small, flying insects that glow in a variety of colours, they live in any warm environment. Igen and Ista have them year round, while it's a special treat in summer for a Reacher to see one.
Fy-by: Often understood to be a corruption of "fly-by"s, these little zippy gnats are the bane of many a grinning rider. Thankfully, they fly almost exclusively at low altitudes, and mostly only on days where winds are not strong.
Grub: Small, gray, furry, legless thread-eating creatures, they are beneficial to crops and keep thread burrows from taking root anyplace that the soil is fertile and rooted by plants.
Grub, Sandworm: Anyplace hot that plants cannot and will not take root, a sandworm may live. They are an armored variety of grub that lives in sand in subtropical and tropical climates, and eat thread voraciously, as well as insects or small fish. Scholars theorize that they contribute to the infertility of the land they inhabit, as they require supplementary nutrition.
Rockmite: Small water-dwelling insects that feed off of algae that grows on and between rocks, rockmites are preyed-upon by larger insects, flits, and curious dragonets.
Roller: Small insects that live in plant litter, they roll plant litter and pollen spokes up into large bundles to carry their eggs in. They are a pollinator on Pern.
Scatid: Six-limbed burrowing insects with front diggers or paddles, they dig through sand or soil in search of mineral-rich water and prey.
Spinner, Common: Six-legged insects that produce a sticky silk, they are largely pests and known for scaring humans, despite their harmlessness.
Spinner, Gossamer: Unlike their useless relatives, gossamer spinners produce a silk that can be woven into a fine, light cloth. They are carefully farmed near the Weaverhall, and the art of breeding and raising them is fiercely protected.
Spring: Long insects that hang suspended from ceilings, branches, and doorframes in little spiral loops, waiting for something to jump on. They have irritating but ultimately harmless bites.
[
Trundlebug: A useful insect that turns soil and pollinates. They form lines and travel in straight lines, and make an awful reek if disturbed. They come in plethora of colours, from clearer than most glass to bright translucent colours, jewel tones, and even dusty earthy colours.
Vtol: A furry insect with a double set of wings. They take off and land in a vertical fashion, which some people fancy is what inspired their name, "vertical-takeoff-and-landing". This claim, however, cannot be substantiated– no texts exist that support the origin of the name.
Wriggler: Small, legless worms that come in the colours of the soil they live in, they turn the earth and are abundant in fertile soil. They can be used to turn waste into fertilizer for plants.
Making up the majority of land-dwelling lifeforms, insects are characterized by their carapaces, multitude of legs, short lifespans, and general tendency to be pests and bothers to the people of Pern.
Buzzer: spindly insects covered in a large number of long hairs and thin wings. They process pollen and nectar into a spicy, almost molasses-ey substance, and gather it into 'honeypots', rocklike containers of spit-and-sand intended to keep the stuff from flooding their colonies. They are codependent on and only live around places that can grow air bushes (a plant with a partially-exposed root system). The honeypots can be carefully tapped, and in a year, a single bush-colony can produce enough surplus honey to produce a barrel of spicy mead.
Firefly: Small, flying insects that glow in a variety of colours, they live in any warm environment. Igen and Ista have them year round, while it's a special treat in summer for a Reacher to see one.
Fy-by: Often understood to be a corruption of "fly-by"s, these little zippy gnats are the bane of many a grinning rider. Thankfully, they fly almost exclusively at low altitudes, and mostly only on days where winds are not strong.
Grub: Small, gray, furry, legless thread-eating creatures, they are beneficial to crops and keep thread burrows from taking root anyplace that the soil is fertile and rooted by plants.
Grub, Sandworm: Anyplace hot that plants cannot and will not take root, a sandworm may live. They are an armored variety of grub that lives in sand in subtropical and tropical climates, and eat thread voraciously, as well as insects or small fish. Scholars theorize that they contribute to the infertility of the land they inhabit, as they require supplementary nutrition.
Rockmite: Small water-dwelling insects that feed off of algae that grows on and between rocks, rockmites are preyed-upon by larger insects, flits, and curious dragonets.
Roller: Small insects that live in plant litter, they roll plant litter and pollen spokes up into large bundles to carry their eggs in. They are a pollinator on Pern.
Scatid: Six-limbed burrowing insects with front diggers or paddles, they dig through sand or soil in search of mineral-rich water and prey.
Spinner, Common: Six-legged insects that produce a sticky silk, they are largely pests and known for scaring humans, despite their harmlessness.
Spinner, Gossamer: Unlike their useless relatives, gossamer spinners produce a silk that can be woven into a fine, light cloth. They are carefully farmed near the Weaverhall, and the art of breeding and raising them is fiercely protected.
Spring: Long insects that hang suspended from ceilings, branches, and doorframes in little spiral loops, waiting for something to jump on. They have irritating but ultimately harmless bites.
[
Trundlebug: A useful insect that turns soil and pollinates. They form lines and travel in straight lines, and make an awful reek if disturbed. They come in plethora of colours, from clearer than most glass to bright translucent colours, jewel tones, and even dusty earthy colours.
Vtol: A furry insect with a double set of wings. They take off and land in a vertical fashion, which some people fancy is what inspired their name, "vertical-takeoff-and-landing". This claim, however, cannot be substantiated– no texts exist that support the origin of the name.
Wriggler: Small, legless worms that come in the colours of the soil they live in, they turn the earth and are abundant in fertile soil. They can be used to turn waste into fertilizer for plants.
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Fel - Thread Conqueror
- Posts: 9615
- Joined: Thu May 24, 2018 5:33 pm
- Location: The Frigid North
AQUATIC SPECIES
General beastcrafter and harper consensus agrees that the variety of life flourishing in water has to do with the fact that thread drowns and summarily becomes harmless, inert, and generally edible when it comes in contact with bodies of water. There are all kinds of living creatures in Pern's rivers, lakes and seas, from mammals to crustaceans to fish to mollusks.
Bordo: A species of saltwater fish that is commonly fished as food.
Deep Ones: Giant, deep-dwelling air-breathing saltwater creatures. According to harpers, they came on the "Great Crossing", and they help people by herding fish.
Fingertail: A saltwater species that is commonly fished as food. Its tail is strongly forked, and both the top and bottom parts are about as long and thick as a finger.
Minnow: A tiny fish, useful only as bait for small and moderately-sized fish. There are both saltwater and freshwater varieties.
Packtail: A deep-sea fish, it is tasty, but dangerously-spined. It is covered in slime that can cause infections and sometimes death in humans if it gets into a cut or open wound.
Redfin: A species of saltwater fish that is commonly fished as food. It has red fins.
Shipfish (Delphine): Air-breathing saltwater creatures. Not commonly fished, hunted, or eaten, they are considered a sign of good luck. People that have spent too long at sea fancy that their song almost sounds like speech.
Spiderclaw: A plump shellfish with many legs. They lay their eggs on sandy beaches in the Spring, and are eaten all turn 'round across Pern.
Yellowstripe: A species of saltwater fish that is commonly fished as food. It has a bright yellow stripe down the side of its body.
General beastcrafter and harper consensus agrees that the variety of life flourishing in water has to do with the fact that thread drowns and summarily becomes harmless, inert, and generally edible when it comes in contact with bodies of water. There are all kinds of living creatures in Pern's rivers, lakes and seas, from mammals to crustaceans to fish to mollusks.
Bordo: A species of saltwater fish that is commonly fished as food.
Deep Ones: Giant, deep-dwelling air-breathing saltwater creatures. According to harpers, they came on the "Great Crossing", and they help people by herding fish.
Fingertail: A saltwater species that is commonly fished as food. Its tail is strongly forked, and both the top and bottom parts are about as long and thick as a finger.
Minnow: A tiny fish, useful only as bait for small and moderately-sized fish. There are both saltwater and freshwater varieties.
Packtail: A deep-sea fish, it is tasty, but dangerously-spined. It is covered in slime that can cause infections and sometimes death in humans if it gets into a cut or open wound.
Redfin: A species of saltwater fish that is commonly fished as food. It has red fins.
Shipfish (Delphine): Air-breathing saltwater creatures. Not commonly fished, hunted, or eaten, they are considered a sign of good luck. People that have spent too long at sea fancy that their song almost sounds like speech.
Spiderclaw: A plump shellfish with many legs. They lay their eggs on sandy beaches in the Spring, and are eaten all turn 'round across Pern.
Yellowstripe: A species of saltwater fish that is commonly fished as food. It has a bright yellow stripe down the side of its body.
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