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Runners make up one of the traditional crafts on Pern. Major Runner Stations are located in Fort Hold.

Description[]

Runners are craftspeople responsible for carrying messages across Pern. They provide one of the main forms of long-distance communication, carrying written messages between holds for a fee. The name runner appears to come from the fact that they literally run while carrying their messages. Runners generally have long legs. Some runners are better suited for sprinting short distances, while others are better at long-distance runs.

Runners make use of trails known as traces. Along these traces are Runner Stations, where messages can be picked up or dropped off. However, runners can pick up new messages at any time assuming the proper fees are paid. People or organizations wishing to avoid public identification will use this method, as messages dropped at a station are logged and tracked. Though sending a message usually requires payment, it is craft policy to carry Community messages for free, with a station's Master having the power to determine which messages are deemed Community message.

The advent of AIVAS technology led to some concerns for the runners, as there were fears that runners would be rendered obsolete by new methods of communication. Some people, such as Lessa, however, maintained that runners would always be needed. Not all technology was threatening. The rise of printed books and notices allowed for the spread of accurate accounts of current events, which would be carried by runners where needed.

Positions and responsibilities[]

  • Runners — the general name of specialists and key representatives.
  • Station master — managers stations, serve runners, accept and send parcels. They are former runners who can no longer run.

History[]

Nothing is known about runners in the early periods. They claim to be the longest-running Craft on Pern. The first mention is in the Eighth Interval.

Eighth Interval/Ninth Pass[]

Runners were heavily employed by the Abominators to communicate, as they could avoid being tracked. As knowledge of the group became more widespread, runners would often report suspicious events. Runners would carry news of the Fireball Flood to holders to warn of danger. Later on, they were instrumental in discovering a plot against the Printercraft by the Abominators. Once the offenders were captured, they would insist on carrying news of the event for free, deeming it important that all people knew of what the Abominators had attempted.

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