– MasterHealer Petiron – Masterharper/MasterComposer; teacher of Menolly; husband of Merelan; father of Robinton; composer of technical and complex music. After Robinton is chosen as the Masterharper, takes a position as Harper of Half Circle Seahold. Shonagar – Masterharper and Craftmaster of Voice. Sograny – MasterHerder Tagetarl – Journeyman Harper/MasterPrinter Terry – MasterSmith Traller (Tuck) – Apprentice Harper/Spy Wansor – Master Starsmith Zurg – MasterWeaver Holders Pern is divided into many Holds. The politics between the lords of these holds provides the backdrop to many of the books. Fax Lord Fax – the greedy, violent self-styled "Lord of Seven Holds" in Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. Originally a nephew of Lord Faroguy of High Reaches, Fax was known as being greedy and ruthless even in his youth. He carefully conquered Hold after Hold by means of trickery, marriage, murder and force. He repressed his Holders, denied them education and encouraged them to mistrust harpers and dragonriders. At the height of his power, he controlled High Reaches, Crom, Nabol, and Ruatha, as well as three minor holds. Fax married many women, including Lady Gemma of Crom. Fax's downfall was engineered by Lessa, the orphaned daughter of the Lord Holder of Ruatha, who hid for ten years as a kitchen drudge and mentally repressed Ruatha's natural productivity. On a visit to Ruatha Hold, Fax died in a brutal fight with Bronze dragonrider F'lar, who had come to Search Ruatha Hold for potential dragonriders, but not before he had named his infant son Jaxom (son of Gemma, who was distantly related to the Ruathan bloodline) as his successor. In The White Dragon, Jaxom notices that people are willing to talk to him about his mother Gemma but never about his father Fax (perhaps fearing that he might take after Fax), and later at the uncovering of Landing Lessa compares Southern Holder Toric to Fax, remarking that they were both ambitious. Major Holds Benden: Lord Maidir (husband of Hayara, father of Raid, Maizella, and Hayon); Lord Raid (supports Benden, but very stubborn); Lord Toronas Bitra: Lord Sifer; Lord Sigomal (opposed to AIVAS; deposed and exiled for aiding the plot to kidnap Master Robinton) Crom: Lord Lesselden (husband of Relna, killed by Fax); Lord Fax; Lord Nessel (following Fax's death) Fort: Lord Grogellan (husband to Winalla, died because he refused to have his appendix surgically removed); Lord Groghe (son of Lord Grogellan, husband of