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Developer(s) Project community
Engine MUSH
Platform(s) Platform independent
Genre(s) Fantasy MUD
Mode(s) Multiplayer
Distribution Online

PernMUSH (also called NorCon or NC, for "North Continent") is an online role-playing game which is based on Anne McCaffrey's world of Pern.[1] PernMUSH is technically a text-based multiplayer virtual world based on a MUSH engine.


Set in the 10th Interval (immediately following the 10th Pass of the Red Star), 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 Weyrs: 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.


Based on the TinyMUSH codebase, PernMUSH is one of the oldest Pern MU* style games in existence.[2][3][4] 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 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.


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.


  1. ^ Carton, Sean (1995). Internet Virtual Worlds Quick Tour. Ventana Press. pp. 158–159. ISBN 1-56604-222-4. "If you've ever wondered what it would be like to leap on the back of a dragon and take to the skies of Pern, or just have a hankerin' to engage in some complex and satisfying role play, then PernMUSH may be for you. PernMUSH is a virtual world based on Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series where characters play the parts of dragonriders—brave souls who fly on the backs of dragons, the dominant life form of the planet Pern." 
  2. ^ Cauldron MUX - What is a MUX?
  3. ^ Godwin, Mike; Ludlow, Peter (1996). High Noon on the Electronic Frontier: Conceptual Issues in Cyberspace. The MIT Press. p. 357. ISBN 0-262-62103-7. 
  4. ^ Cherny, Lynn (February 1, 1999). Conversation and Community: Discourse in a Social MUD. Center for the Study of Language and Inf. p. 65. ISBN 1-57586-154-2. 

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