This forum RPG is a semi-canon Dragonriders of Pern game. We are set in the First Pass, and are beginning play in Year 20.
Now for the premise.
For those of you who know all about Pern, you undoubtedly know about the watchwhers. These are those deformed, lumpy, misshapen dragon-like creatures who aren't so smart and see heat. Some people like them, some pity them, others just ignore them. Here at Perspectives, however, we have chosen to elevate them: What if the project that created them had instead been successful?
That is what brings us to this particular year. Aye, there have been several attempts from Wind Blossom resulting in her 'uglies', but there is a new batch of eggs hardening now. The shells are smoother than ever before, and all fifteen eggs still seem to be viable. The geneticists are understandably excited.
Now for the other side. The dragons. Now, everyone likes the Pernese dragons. It's hard not to; they are loyal unto death, fly, breathe fire, and teleport. They choose their rider upon hatching and that day will always be the best day of their rider's life. They are the ultimate creature of Pern. Unfortunately, they can't catch every Thread that falls, and once it burrows, they cannot do much due to their continuously increasing size. Loopholes are not always good. With the flamethrowers once used to combat grounded Thread slowly breaking down, Wind Blossom took it upon herself to engineer a sort of 'ground dragon'. These would be smaller, sturdier, and more independent. In order to find Thread in the ground, they needed to be able to see heat.
Now that the draconic population is flourishing, however, some of the riders aren't so sure that another creature is needed. Each and every one of them is immensely proud of their partners, and they all enjoy the prestige of being Pern's only hope. Some worry that these new creatures might make the dragons obsolete, and with there now being close to three hundred dragons on Pern, that poses quite a problem. Tensions are undoubtedly only going to increase once this newest batch of 'nightwhers' hatches.