When AIVAS was destroyed, when Thread no longer fell, Pern was slow to accept its newfound freedom. The freedom was short-lived, however, as a meteor from the Red Star crashed into Pern, causing worldwide destruction.

But there is hope for a future on Pern. Before the meteor struck the surface of Pern, the Weyrs sent three hundred dragons with six hundred people between to what they thought was the past. The refugees ended up in the distant future.

Pern has become something of a wasteland, and the surviving peoples have resorted to living in feudal ways. It's been fifteen Turns since then, long enough for life to begin to become normal. But hardships are still rife in this new Pern.