Protectors of the Plot Continuum
Canon Protection Initiative Headquarters
(Dragonriders of Pern [Anne McCaffrey] Continuum)
Version 2.0.1
May 28, 2005
MEMORANDUM
To: All Assassination and Reconnaissance Departments
From: The Sunflower Official
Please find enclosed the current official list of basic offenses against canon for which fan-written characters in your departments may be charged with disrupting the continuum. As all agents are to a certain extent autonomous while in the field, amplification of these rudimentary charges is encouraged as long as it does not violate Canon Protection Initiative policy. It is noted that the list is not exhaustive and is subject to further revision. To nominate a frequent or egregious offense for inclusion on the list, simply contact the Department of Records, Accounting, and Tabulation (DRAT).
Please do not ask for a raise while doing so.
1. Character Disruptions
1.2. Causing improbable romantic liaisons between canon characters (e.g. F'lar/anybody but Lessa)
1.3. Breaking up a canon romance, especially in favor of an original character
1.4. Causing a character to act like a lovestruck fool, especially over an original character
1.5. Causing male characters to be misogynistic or chauvinistic; creating "Designated Misogynistic Bastards"
1.6. Causing female characters to be antagonistically feminist
1.7. Creating gratuitous uncanonical younger siblings or offspring of canon characters
1.8. Causing a canon member of the Dragonriders of Pern to abuse his or her child(ren) or subordinates
1.9. Otherwise slandering persons, groups, or races
1.10. Stealing lines
1.11. Altering canonical leadership of any Weyr, Hold, or Craft of Pern
2.1.1. Giving dragons scales, horns, ears, etc.
2.1.1.1. Causing dragons to have improbable color mutations (pink, aqua, storm, sunset, etc.)
2.1.2. Causing male pregnancy
2.2. Changing the social conventions and structures of canonical society
2.2.1. Instigating gratuitous cruelty to drudges
2.2.2. Forcing pointless arranged marriages
2.2.3. Changing the mode of dress, shelter, or transport of any Pernese society
2.2.4. Causing the Pernese to exhibit religion of any sort
2.3. Changing the rules of Search, Impression, and/or Flight
2.3.1. Causing a mentally or physically unsound person to be Searched and/or Impress
2.3.2. Causing an under- or overage person to be Searched and/or Impress
2.3.3. Causing a female to Impress a bronze or a male to Impress a gold
2.3.4. Causing any character to Impress more than once
2.3.5. Causing anything but a bronze or brown to catch a gold in a mating flight
2.4. Creating or importing non-canonical species (e.g. unicorns, deer, roses)
2.5. Confusing family trees
2.6. Using magic of any kind
3.2. Changing ecology
3.3. Altering the location of key canon plot events
3.4. Altering history or the known backstory of a character
3.5. Deletion or overriding of key canon scenes in a non-AU fic
3.6. Creation of improbable settlements
1. Causing time compression or expansion
2. Using unnecessary tense and person shifts
3. Causing anachronistic behavior
3.1. Causing Pernese characters to use modern or religious slang
3.2. Singing (or causing canon characters to sing) modern songs while on Pern
3.3. Causing Pernese characters to use pop psychology
4. Bringing future (or past, for that matter) knowledge to Pern
5. Causing events to happen out of canon plotline order
6. Changing timelines or characters' ages without cause
7. Causing events to eventuate solely for the benefit of the original character without regard to canon plotlines
1. Use of bad biology
1.1. Employing impossible medical cures (e.g. "magic healing berries")
1.2. Creating or importing non-canonical species (e.g. unicorns, deer, roses)
2. Use of bad physics
3. Use of bad plot devices
3.1. Employing dei ex machina
3.2. Changing the rules of Search, Impression, and/or Flight
3.2.1. Causing a mentally or physically unsound person to be Searched and/or Impress
3.2.2. Causing an under- or overage person to be Searched and/or Impress
3.2.3. Causing a female to Impress a bronze or a male to Impress a gold
3.2.4. Causing any character to Impress more than once
3.2.5. Causing anything but a bronze or brown to catch a gold in a mating flight
3.3. Creating "cute animal friends"
3.3.1. Owning as many or more fire lizards than Menolly
3.4. Gratuitous use of magical jewelry
3.5. Displaying magical Mary Sue powers
4. Creation of improbable settlements
1. Mangling of the English language
1.1. Bad grammar and syntax
1.2. Punctuation errors
1.2.1. Causing dragons to speak aloud through improper use of quotation marks
1.3. Spelling errors
1.3.1. General spelling errors
1.3.2. Errors in spelling of names, aka "creating more minis than anyone can deal with"
2. Giving original characters inappropriate names ("anachronyms")
2.1. Giving original characters modern names
2.2. Causing dragon names to end in anything other than -th
2.3. Causing watch-wher names to end in anything other than -sk
3. Causing Pernese characters to use modern or religious slang
4. Causing characters to make incorrect use of archaic speech
5. Gratuitous tense shifting (e.g. past to present)
6. Gratuitous point-of-view or person shifting
7. Employing melodramatics
8. Causing an original character to have an unbearably beautiful voice
Note: These charges may not necessarily be officially supported by the Administration if disputed and do not constitute legal cause for assassination on their own; however, they are authorized for use by PPC personnel if sufficient charges have been accumulated under other sections to warrant assassination or incarceration of the subject.
1. Annoying PPC agents
2. Displaying extreme stupidity or causing canon characters to act stupidly
3. Committing fashion crimes
4. Employing melodramatics, especially melodramatic death speeches (may need to be given posthumously)
5. Hitting on PPC agents' lust objects
6. Claiming than the fanfic is "not a Mary Sue" when it has all the recognized characteristics of one
7. Basically screwing up the world
1. Some charges may be listed under more than one section of this document.
2. This document is in no way an exhaustive list of possible entries for a charge list, but instead encompasses the most frequently used charges which are authorized by PPC Headquarters and will be supported by the Legal Department if dispute arises.
3. The main entry on any charge list for the Department of Mary Sues is "Being a Mary Sue." This item is mandatory for inclusion on a DMS charge list, but must be substantiated by other charges in order to be legally recognized.