From Genetic Mistake to Evolutionary Marvel
Around the time of the ninth pass�
Dragons were respected and looked up to as the defenders of Pern. The cute fire-lizards were loved by all � rider or non-rider. The Watch-whers, on the other hand, were thought of as cruel and vicious. They were chained up and used as guard dogs. Dragons considered them too dumb to speak to. Their wings were too weak to support them in flight. They were unable to travel /between/ places, much less time. Nobody even considered trying to teach them to chew firestone and fight thread.
Rising of the underdog�
Where original genetics failed, natural evolution succeeded. As the population of dragons rose, there were more who were willing to spend time with the Watch-whers. The whers began to learn from dragons. Began to understand more. Began to want more. After many generations had past, Whers had become nearly as wise and intelligent as their dragon brethren. They now had draconic abilities. Their wings were strong enough for them to fly. They could travel /between/ places and, in some cases, /between/ times. Although they remained partially nocturnal, and still see better in the dark, Whers could now stand to be in the daylight. Rukbat�s rays did not hurt Wher�s eyes as they once did.
Breaking the chains�
When people finally realized that Watch-Whers were no longer the vile creatures they once where, they decided it was time for people to begin impressing the noble beasts at birth, as they did with dragons. The Watch-Whers were no longer kept in chains. They were allowed to run-and fly-freely. People were now being searched, not only for dragon impressions, but for Watch-Wher impressions as well. It was then that Pern noticed the Whers new found intellect, for every Wher was born knowing his or her own name, which always ended in �th�. In spite of their new nature, however, Whers were still thought of as mere pets.
Coming of the Rangers�
As the impending twelfth pass got closer and closer to Pern, the dragonRiders made a bold, wise, and scary decision. Watch-Whers would now be thought to chew fire-stone and breath fire. While most were skeptical of the idea, the Weyrleaders assured everyone that it was the best course of action-and it was! Whers quickly learned to flame through the sky as dragons could. Also, seeing as though WATCH-whers no longer simply looked over a hold, it was decided that the Watch-whers hence fort be known as Flamewhers. Along with this came another new term. �Riders� were those who rode atop dragons. Those who rode Flamewhers wanted their own term. That is how they came to be known as �Rangers�. Pern now had a double army to fight the thread: The DragonRiders of Pern, and the FlamewherRangers of Pern!
