Everyone's view on the Southern Continent changed at the beginning of the Ninth Pass. Holders and Crafters felt a need for spreading out, to claim land and work it with their very hands. The same volcanic ash that forced their forefathers to leave was now that from which they thrived. Somehow, through all this, dragon riders began dwindling, and deserted the Weyrs of the Southern Continent. Yet, a Tenth Pass arrived, and a new Weyr was created in the South.

Out of something akin to respect, they left the old Eastern Weyr site alone and created Storm Watch Weyr, named for the frequent squalls that tear through the area. After its founding, it was discovered that the grubs which had protected the flora so diligently had died off, whether through disease or some other cause is unknown. There didn't seem to be a place where the grubs were still living. Thus, the dragon riders were needed much more than they would ordinarily have been.

Incidentally, Storm Watch Weyr was particularly low on dragonpower, due to having to fight Thread more often than the Northern riders did. Losses were great, and the six original Weyrs practically laughed in the faces of the one Southern Weyr. If they couldn't save their own how did they expect to save the people of Pern?

In effect, the Northerners tried to convince those in the South to leave and come home to the North. No one wanted to leave the land they and their ancesters had carved out and worked with their hands and the price of their sweat, as well as their lives. Very few left, and the dragonriders didn't leave either. To put it lightly, the Northerners were peeved.

However, in the middle of the Tenth Pass, a great tragedy occurred. An unusually dangerous Threadfall affected both the Southern and Northern Weyrs, killing hundreds, if not thousands of dragons. Each Weyr became excruciatingly low in dragon-power, but none worse than StormWatch Weyr, which was too low to protect the South as it was. The dragon pairs numbered at 400 when they needed perhaps a thousand to keep the Southern Continent protected.

But when they called for help from the North, they received an abrupt refusal and were ordered to return North, again. The refusal/demand stated that each Weyr was below what should have been their average. It also said that the Northern Weyrleaders did not believe the reports that grubs no longer existed, and they also believe that Southern should be left alone. Discouraged and in great need of dragons, StormWatch Weyr did the best it could, protecting only the land that was lived on. They were shunned, and exiled.

Bare forests now dotted the landscape, a depressing reminder of the ignorant and terrible rejection the Southerners were given. This is one reason the Southerners are so bitter towards the Northerners, and indeed it is justified.

Once, an adventurous Northern Wing visited the South. On seeing the destruction there, they secretly sent word to each of the six Northern Weyrs. Around three hundred dragon pairs informed their Weyrleaders they were leaving to go South to help. They stated that the Northern Weyrs could combine to fight Thread, while there was only a single Weyr protecting the South. The Weyrleaders attempted to stop these 'renegades' or 'rogues' as they were now known as, but the dragonpairs left and began creating a living in the exiled South, and with two golds in the mix, started producing more dragons and brought StormWatch Weyr up to power, until the Pass ended. The bitter rivalry and hate continued though, and does to this day.

During the Interval, around the strife between the continents, the dragon riders helped in mapping and exploring the Southern Continent. They claimed the land for a second Weyr in the south after deciding to leave the Southern Weyr ruins as a memorial to dragon kind. However, they never officially began the project, and the South was the laughing stock of the North.

The project, which was set aside several times, was officially begun when the need for another Weyr in the south arose. A gold was lain onto the sands of Storm Watch Weyr, and a search began. When the hatching occurred, and the queen, Lupith, broke her shell, she chose Ashia.

A tragedy occurred, bringing Ashia into power as Weyrwoman. The former Weyrwoman died due to complications of a sickness which brought on a severe case of pneumonia. Though saddened, life in the Weyr continued. The project on the new Weyr continued as well, but slowly, waiting until there was another gold in the sands to motivate construction.

Three turns went by before Lupith laid a clutch, and perhaps four til a queen happened. Construction once again was at a moderate, if surprisingly fast pace. When the queen, Lihanyath broke her shell, she Impressed the youngest candidate, Kavriala, who was thirteen at the time.

Kavriala is now fifteen, and finally presides over the affairs of Nightstar Weyr. The Interim Weyrleader is K'halo, rider of bronze Deyakith. To this day, Ashia is still Weyrwoman of Storm Watch, and a new Weyrleader is soon to be decided on. Yet, the hate between North and South is still there. A total of eight queen dragons reside on Pern; one per Weyr, though they have begun producing more clutches. Perhaps the beginning of a Pass is near.