Piemur

Piemur is one of the numerous characters in Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series, and appears as a major character in "Dragondrums" (1979) and "The White Dragon" (1978). Piemur, originally the son of a farmer and cattle trader, is taken to the Harper Hall as an apprentice due to the excellent voice he possesses, though he has very little aptitude concerning other Harper skills. Piemur is apprenticed to Master Shonagar, the Master of Voice at that time. Due to Piemurs small stature, he is forced to develop other talents in order to be able to enjoy his residence at the Harper Hall, and therefore becomes known as a person of infinite mischief and disregard for Hall regulations.

Harper Hall

When, during Dragonsinger, Menolly arrives at the Harper Hall (though both this and Dragonsinger are viewed primarily through the eyes of Menolly), Piemur is one of the first to get to know her. At first this interest is merely a curiosity regarding Menolly's possession of nine fire lizards, though it grows to a closer mutual friendship throughout Dragonsinger, the second book in the Harper Hall trilogy. Piemur has doubts about his future in the Harper Hall, unsure of what will become of him when his voice breaks, and shares these doubts with Menolly, who convinces him to concentrate more on the present.

Piemur's voice starts breaking at a most inconvenient time for many of the Harper Hall residents, including Piemur himself, as he was to play a major role in a musical performance at the spring gather, which required the fine voice Piemur no longer possesses, and another is forced to take his role. The moment is not, however, inconvenient for Masterharper Robinton, who had plans for Piemur after the inevitable failure of his voice. During Piemur's adaptation to life in the Hall - and being one of the smallest apprentices - he learned that information was one way of keeping himself in one piece, and it turned out that he had a natural affinity for piecing all the information about various people together. This talent is brought to the attention of the Masterharper by Menolly, his personal apprentice, and Piemur changes Master to Robinton himself. This is unknown to the rest of the Hall, other than Robinton, his other two apprentices, Menolly and Sebell, and the Drummaster, to whom Piemur is officially apprenticed, to learn the complicated drum measures used to communicate across Pern. He is warned that he will need to be discreet about to whom he is in truth apprenticed, and sees this as a test to his abilities of remaining discreet.

The Drumheights

The other apprentice and journeyman harpers at the Drumheigts know enough of Pimur's long history of devilish achievements, and fully expects this to continue at his new posting with them and the Master of Drums. They do not, of course, know that Piemur is secretly apprenticed to Masterharper Robinton, nor of the warning delivered regarding Piemur's silence, and bully him according to the mischief they expect in return. Piemur, having taken that warning altogether too seriously, not to mention incorrectly, does absolutely nothing in return to the treatment he is given, and mentions nothing to anyone else concerning his sleeping affairs being sewn shut, soiled, his laundry hung in the gutters, etc. Instead, Piemur redoubles his efforts in learning the assigned drum measures, and can perform them more correctly even than those who have been there for several years. This only gains him the further disapproval of his fellow apprentices.

During Piemur's stay at the Drumheights, Menolly recruits him several times for missions set by the Masterharper Robinton, including a visit to a nearby mine, which produces the sapphires given to newly raised Masters. Piemur discovers that the mine is subject to ravages by the notorious Oldtimers, banished to the Southern Continent of Pern, who take precious stones without payment, threatening the mine's economy. It is also found out from this visit that Lord Meron of Nabol Hold, a dying Lord Holder, has close association with the Old-timers of the southern continent. Also during this time, Piemur learns of the relationship between Menolly and Sebell, and is probably one of the few who knows of it.

After several of these absences from the Drumheights, Piemur's fellow apprentices' attitudes worsen further. After several unpleasant incidents, they lower themselves to greasing the steps and handrail of the stairway Piemur is bound to ascend shortly, causing a fall that could have ended his life. Piemur escapes with a severe concussion, and is removed from apprenticeship at the Drumheights.

Journey and Residence at Southern

When Piemur recovers from his fall, Master Robinton assigns him a mission with Journeyman Sebell. They are to join the Gather at Lord Meron's Hold (disguised as cattle traders, ironically enough), to report the commoners' mood concerning Lord Meron's association with the banned Old-timers as well as the Lord Holder himself, who is slowly dying of a wasting disease. One of the first things they notice is the extreme number of firelizards in the Hold, and deduct that this is the payment Lord Meron has been receiving from the Old-timers. After a series of events, Piemur finds himself being chased around Nabol Hold, unable to escape, and with a firelizard egg, stolen from Lord Meron, that he believes is that of a queen. He hides in a sack in a small storage room, and promptly falls fast asleep, presumably due to his recent head injury.

While Piemur sleeps, with the egg tucked warmly in his shirt, the sacks are transported "between" to Southern Weyr, where the Old-timers reside, and Piermur escapes without notice. He flees the area until the firelizard, which he was correct to assume was a queen, has hatched. He names the firelizard Farli (possibly due to a coincidence, this has the same pronunciation as the Scandinavian "danger" - "farlig", "farleg", etc).

On his way to Southern Hold (not inhabited by the Old-timers), Piemur meets Sharra, a girl from the very place he is going to, and helps her in the research she is conducting on the native plants of the Southern Continent. They eventually make their way back the Hold, on the same day that Menolly and Sebell, who, until now have been searching the Northern Continent for him, arrive at Southern Hold. As there is no reason for Piemur to return to the Northern Continent - his good voice is gone, and Masterharper Robinton was interested in exploring the Southern Continent regardless of where Piemur was - he is instructed, or rather permitted, to stay and map the coast of Southern.

Along with Jaxom, Lord of Ruatha Hold and rider of the White Dragon, Ruth, Piemur takes part in the rediscovery of Landing, the first human settlement on Pern, and thus the uncovering of the AIVAS, and all the subsequent events.

Piemur is involved in a large amount of the controversial "progress" that occurs after the awakening of the AIVAS, and together with Jancis, granddaughter of Mastersmith Farandel, rebuilds one of the first computers.

Piemur later marries Jancis, and has a son, Pierjan.

ources

* McCaffrey, Anne. Dragonsong Aladdin Paperbacks, 1976. ISBN-13: 978-0-689-86008-9
* McCaffrey, Anne. Dragonsinger Aladdin Paperbacks, 1977. ISBN-13: 978-0-689-86007-2
* McCaffrey, Anne. Dragondrums Aladdin Paperbacks, 1979. ISBN-13: 978-0-689-86006-5

* McCaffrey, Anne. The White Dragon Del Rey, 1978. ISBN 0-345-34167-8
* McCaffrey, Anne. The Dolphins of Pern Aladdin Paperbacks, 1976. ISBN-13: 978-0-689-86008-9