Once upon a time...

There was a planet called Pern, in the Sagittarian Sector of space, third planet from the sun Rukbat. It was home to some of the most amazing animals in all of space and time: dragons! Genetically engineered from the miniscule firelizards, these great beasts protected Pern from the ever-present threat of Thread. The silvery parasites came from the Red Star, a planet with an erratic orbit, caught and held by Pern's gravity. Every two to four hundred years, the Red Star would come close enough to Pern for the parasites to bridge the gap in space, and feast on the lush organic matter found on Pern. Dragons, the gaurdians against this threat, Impressed a human at birth, creating a telepathic and empathetic link. The two were partners for life in fighting Thread with their fellow dragons and dragonriders to protect the resty of Pern and its people. Then came AVIS, a computer with artificial intelligence that revolutionized Pern. The once almost medevil society was pulled forward with a sudden bound because of all of the knowledge AVIS provided before he was destroyed. The people of Pern were able to knock the Red Star off course, and hoped never to fear its malevolent stare in the sky again. Then came the Fifty Turn Plague, a smallpox-like virus that wiped out over half the population of Pern. In the ensuing chaos and struggle for life, all of the new knowledge AVIS had provided was lost, and many dragons were set free to become feral, feared creatures. The others, their noble past forgotten, were reduced to half-sentient pets, getting smaller and stupider as turns wore on and none were Impressed...

Go on...