Cyclopedia Ornrium entry; Earldom of Ear.

Earldom of Ear (ˈɜrl dəm əv ‘ir), OFFFICIALLY, The Eorldom of all the Earish Isles.

POPULATION

The Earldom of Ear has a total population of 460 Citizens per the last census.

Capitol;

Kiltrash is the National Capital, a lovely old fashioned brick city perched on the summit and lee of Icewurm Peak, it’s famous for it’s cable-cars, and ice fairs that feature prominently in tourist advertising. Kiltrash is certainly the largest town with a population nearly half that of the entire nation.

Overview;

The Eorldom, or Earldom, of Ear is a semi-Doonish nation located North and East of Blue Dundoon, near the Northeast World Rim. It’s composed to two large islands; Earlint Land, and Doggear Land. The also claim numerous small rocks and islets in the surrounding seas.

These little claims include Frostwet, and Walrus rocks, Toothless Bite, Glasscastle Issel, Narwhal Snog, the Stormrazors, (two steep knife edged rocks known for killing many ships), and the Snowcrags, a larger and smaller islet used for summer grazing . In addition they are party to a three way rivalry over the Salpwumpy Rocks with Dundoon and Ilee. In a further addition they have a Concession Colony town called Treacle in Wormwood.

Currently the Earldom of Ear is not party to any political alliances, aside from the concession in Wormwood, which was ratified by the Second Polyester Freestate, Mantz, Hemmer, and Guerat.

They have been approached by Guerat who is feeling out a possible anti-Oppressorbadian league, but the answer so far is noncommittal, probably because their attention is focused on Dundoon, and Ilee, and Dundoon’s agreement with Guerat poses a question over the Salpwumpy Rocks that would need to be settled fist.

The nation is a modern Constitutional Earldom; a kind of monarchy. The current Eorl is Jurp III, of the House of Sealbeardnik, his chief minister is Stonefrost Sweatfoot a graduate of the Polyestrine Polytechnic.

Language Speakers

There are three major ethnic contributors to the Earish State; old Blue Doons who settled here long ago, Yellow haired Ileans, and the Smolteens of St.Basiland. The three races have managed to blend into a cohesive whole, speaking a unique language called Earnic.

ORIGIN OF NAME

the land known as the Earish Isles probably derives it’s name from Yres, meaning icy or cold in the old Doonish language. Other possiblities have been advanced with little to recommend them. Possibly, according to Professor Tonginnchik it may go back to a reconstructed proto Dunic Hrx meaning “Negative, Nothing, or Tiny”. Implying a toponym meaning “small useless place”. This interpretation has caused numerous arguments in the literature, with Earish Academics enraged, and Polyestrine and Hemmeric ones in favor, and even Dr. Wilspich of the PDSR weighing in as tentatively in favor.

History

Pre-history.

Long before human occupation the lands comprising Ear are thought to have been submerged for a very long time. Fossils of the most primitive sea animals are found on Icewurm summit and Frostbear Rill, these comprise worms and jelly like creatures as well as sponges and possibly early corals. And Uplift event in the age of early animals saw some giant fern forests, massive bugs, and early tetra-pod amphibians, Cold Down producing a few species of these quite sizable monsters. At some point the ice from the Rim Range crept clear across the Burrfries, freezing it solid and putting an icesheet over the Earish islands possibly as much as 4 yards deep. This lasted a very long time, thawing only after the Dugong Peak, Icewurm summit, and Doggear Land volcanoes erupted in the Bigoboom Event. This describes a period of volcanic activity throughout the North that coincides with the retreat of the great ice. The newly uncovered land rapidly became colonized by animals of many kinds.

The first arrivals were maritime, birds, seals, walrus, icebears, voles, quickly joined somehow by pygmy wooly hippopotomus, gigantic wooly rhinotheres, and a species of dwarf elephant-like gompothere. And the giant tusked Vite’s Wolf.

This wildlife enjoyed the islands unbothered by humans for quite a long time. Eventually, a neolithic folk called the Salpwipple Obsidian Assemblage People (SOAP) in literature seem to have settled here. As can be seen from the name the defining characteristic are hunting tools made from obsidian, mostly toggle harpoons, spearheads, handaxes, and a two examples of exquisitely knapped flake edged swords. In addition they seem to have relied heavily on the bones of marine mammals for construction of sod huts, and on drystone to make “wormrings” circular enclosures believed to have been ceremonial or possibly stock pens. These hunters seem to have done for the large mammal residents of the islands, for the gompotheres and rhinotheres completely die out, and icebears grow smaller, and the Vite’s wolves die out, replaced by common Northern wolves. It’s clear this people were quite distinct from the nearby Guilt-Pant Culture of Dundoon. Never developing ceramic technologies, nor making larger stone tombs, or raising monumental stone rings. Nonetheless, like them they fell before the brass-using ancestors of the Dunnic folk about the middle to late period of the Age of Metals.

The Doonish people that settled the Earish Islands seem to have differed from their kin somewhat, in the first place they settled the volcanic peak near Oartplank building small hamlets around the Oartplank hot springs. And they brought with them people who were not Doonish at all, but normal statured, and even the very small statured Smollenfolks that now reside on St. Basiland. These people interbred widely, making for a far more variable population than on Dundoon, and necessitating adaptations of architecture you don’t see on Dundoon. Earish folk developed an oval building called the Yynhuse. This building begins with an excavation of a wide long trench about two feet deep, perhaps 24 to 50 feet wide, and as long as needed. it’s floor is not flat, but tilted, usually higher in the back, and paved with cobble, or pebble. Then wood or whalebone (and even ancient fossil gompothere tusks) are shaped to form the house’s skeleton, strong to support the weighty roof. the spaces between which are fitted with turf, carefully stacked making walls six or even 12 feet thick. The roof is then laid on, also of the best turf , well planted with grass to prevent erosion. The resulting long house is dimly lit, but quite warm, and the floor’s unique slope allows face to face interaction of persons with widely differing heights. The ends of the house are often divided into rooms with turf walls, or with fabric or wood as means allow. The rooms on the left were indoor outhouses, and fitted with a wooden shutter, while those on the right were for sleeping or privacy. These rooms are usually not fitted with a door but hung instead with bead curtains. These houses are were lit mainly by oil lamp, candle, and the fire in the open hearth. The modern version obviously has electricity and modern conveniences largely replace the unsanitary and unsafe old indoor outhouse and hearth. But the houses are much the same as they have been for centuries, indeed many ARE the same as they have been for centuries, and periodic rebuilding with turf has simply made the walls a higher and thicker and more solid.

Thus the Earish folk adapted to living in the harsh cold northeast of Ornria, relying on a diet mainly of seal, whale, smoked fish and smoked goat, walrus, bear, an occasional Wooly Hippopotomus or arctic gompothere. With such garden produce as the short season allowed. Yearly after the first snow the folk of each region would gather for a meet, something like a great fair, with a sacrifice to Nan off the Moon and her consort Father Wind, to ask for help through the harsh winter. Here there was much drinking of Sloom, a fermented rye and milk drink. The Young competed in various sports, such as ice skating, skiing, turf cutting, ice cutting, casting, forging, and ivory and wood working, and also weaving, spinning, cooking and food preserving with honors and duties presented to the winners. Often winners would be tasked with laying in a supply of their specialty, often as a special gift for the Micklemeet, or joining the Jarl and Bestmen for a hunt or war expedition,, or serving another holding for a period.

Preserved food would also be shared, traded, or mortgaged to ensure all households had enough to last the winter and local projects might be planned such as building a boat, hall, a barn, walling a field, or repairing a fish wier. And the great Meathouse would be inventoried. This was a special communal building where Sloom, Fish, Furs, and Fat were warehoused to sustain and protect the community in case of trouble, as well as provide for the Gift Goods destined for the Midwinter Mikklemeet.

At these meets plans were laid for attending the Midwinter Mikklemeet, held in Kiltrash. The local “Best Folk” were chosen by the community to attend, and arrangements for local gifts and trade goods to present to the Jarl were made. At the Midwinter Mikklemeet, the Best Men and their attendants would wait on the Jarl, plan military adventures or big hunts (usually for whales or walrus) and trade goods, services, and even citizens if a community might be in need of a specialist such as a smith, dowd, or wheel wright, or bronze caster.

A word about the Dowd, this was a sort of spiritual specialist, part shaman, part storyteller, part psychologist, part healer, part lawyer. The Dowds of Ear would be needed if a household suffered outbreaks of disease, or Gluming (what we would call melancholy depression or cabin fever), or if some point of tradition or law was in question between two houses or communities. Or if a curse or evil spirit was thought to be troubling a place. Dowds were somewhat like bards, with enormous repertoires of songs and stories and an encyclopedic knowledge of Earish History and Custom. Armed with memorized poems detailing lines of decent of the regions families, and the territorial claims of each. Dowds served long apprenticeships, and were required to attend the Jarl for several years and after passing a Trulzing, a kind examination by 12 old Dowds, would only then be entrusted with a drum, flute, and hurdy gurdy, and allowed to wear the Moonbeam, a simple white fillet linked with patronage of the Moon Goddess. And take to themselves an apprentice.

Historical Antiquity.

Unlike the people of Dundoon, the Earish never abandoned the sea, they were masters of the Loatarskiff, a boat formed of animal skin over a lightweight frame of wood and bone. From these seemingly fragile craft, often surprising large, some crewed by upwards of 50 men, the Earish hunted the Winterwhales, Dugong, Walrus, and fished the icy waters of the Burrfries. They were not great long distance voyagers, but certainly landed on the Rimlands, and on Dundoon, St. Basiland, Ilee, Podunk, and possibly Bertwood.

These meetings with “Ootvolkz”, or Out-Folk (Strangers) were rare, and probably a bit tense, the Earish are not particularly trusting of outsiders, and given to being terse and stand-offish, but they were not often violent, trading being much preferred to raiding. By these landfalls, perhaps often accidental, some knowledge of their existence spread through the world, certainly it extended to Etrulia, for in the early Steel age we have the anonymous manuscript of an Etrulian scholar who writes that he has heard of Icemen of the far Northeast who eat raw meat, live under the ground, never wash, caught fish from leather boats, and called themselves Hairy Fish. Almost certainly an Etrulian corruption of Earish. Thus our earliest record of the Earish is not flattering. I doubt much that the Earish would see themselves in this description, as they were historically quite given to cleanliness as they knew it, combing the hair and beard, snow bathing, and soaks in hotsprings.

The Earish folk closed in on the modern world slowly; but about 300 years ago a major crisis hit the islands, beginning with an eruption of Dugong peak. This eruption ruined all farming on the island creating food shortage, but also devastated Oartplank and Coinfree , and most tragically caught the Jarl on the great winter whale hunt . It is not entirely certain what happened, but geologists Professor Cuelstone and Historian Dusty Oldrag believe that the eruption created a tidal wave that caught the Jarls whalehunt possibly near Frostwet Rock. If so, this would have cost the kingdom a sizable percent of it’s most important and best men, the Jarl himself, at least one of his heirs, and interrupted the food supply to at least the city of Kiltrash, piling a succession crisis onto a natural disaster. Immediately we find Doonish raiders hitting the islands, and by Fall a major Pirate raid of ZeeZeel boatmen appear at Salpwipple and begin a chevauchée up the Schnofaire Flatts towards Hobhang under the command of Sea-King Blutyteeth Redhand. They are met by a week force of local men, half starved and ill led, under Master Rol Balbelly, an aspirant to be claimed Eorl. The outcome was inevitable and the shieldwall of Rol was swiftly broken, Rol himself rendered alive for his oil.

As the victorious ZeeZeel force was burning and pillaging North towards Kiltrash, A second army landed near Goutwill, this time under Miklenukle Baldpate, He’d been exiled from Ear for murder a decade before, and it’ seems had taken to Gyre piracy in the interim, Now his small force of pirate knights, the dregs of the ocean, began to move on Kiltrash, setting up an inevitable clash, by this time the countryside had been raised into a third force, commanded by the iron willed Teborax Scowleye a woman noted for her ferocity, she’d been mauled by a Walrus in single battle, and wore it’s tusk in place of a hand. This force assembled outside Kiltrash, and rapidly moved against Baldpate, the fight was short, bloody, and ended with Baldpate giving his skin to make a new boat. Of his army, we hear no more. Swiftly Scowleye marched on Redhand, catching part of his raiders in the Muskeg at the foot of Icewurm Summit. Here, on marshy hummocks between swamp and willow, the Earish fighters hewed down ZeeZeelmen and by night the dark waters of the muskeg were stained red, few indeed reached their ships to sail home again.

Teborax Scowleye was in Kiltrash before the moon had changed, receiving her people’s acclimation as Eorl, or at least as AN Eorl. Skrim Burntbeard and Lim Toothnose stood against her , in Wumpcopse and Squirtslurpich. acclaimed by their own followers. Skrim had raided the ZeeZeelmen’s ships, beating the rear guard, burning many, and more importantly capturing many cannon. These he shifted to sledges and hauled to his newly built castle on Dugong at Wumpcopse. Prepared for a siege. Lim, the weakest in followers claimed Doggear Land and dug in near Squirtslurpich , in a beach camp at Icecrab Bay. The Walrus War had begun.

This war lasted 5 harsh years. In the end Skrim showed the better strategist, Teborax the better fighter. Skrim first brought Lim to heel, taking him hostage, and allowing his estranged son Lof to run Doggear Land with the title Ertog of the Icecrags. He then turned his attention north, his musketeers fighting his way up Boneybeach up Icewurm Summit, to the wooden walls of Kiltrash.

The siege lasted all winter, but the cannon told; it brought the siege to an end with a challenge by Skrim to Teborax. She accepted, and in a wooden circle, in the melting snow of spring, the two warlords met in single combat, five mighty rounds were fought, pistols, axes, clubs, swords, after shields were well splintered, came a final round, bare armed, in which Skrim and Teborax battered each other to an exhausted standstill. Here, it seems they found an appreciation of oneanother. The Dowd Hwug Sealsinger came forward and brokered an unexpected agreement; matrimony. A shared Earldom, and a secure future.

In the wake of the Walrus War, the land was exhausted, years of famine and murder had reduced the population to near vacuity. Kiltrash itself is thought to have had fewer than 50 people. The settlements of Witzun, Falfritter, and Hrostwurm have never returned to the map. Thus the warm sun of first spring of the Sealbeardnik Eorls dawned on Ear.

Modern History Present day.

The heir of Skrim and Teborax was Tewusk called Sealbeard. Earl Tewusk the Sealbeard had travelled afar in his early youth, fighting pirates and trading with Mantissippii. Enamoured of the industrial revolution abroad, he set Ear on the road to modernity. Tewusk established the Kiltrash Burrfries University, importing scholars from Hemmer, Guapamolotl, Mantz, and Polyesterdelphia itself. From St.Basiland he imported first rate technical people to add the Kiltrash Technical College. Some Zeezeel were setteled near Frothfirthfug and began to farm cabbages and apples. A boatload of Black Bertwoodish fishermen were wrecked on Frostwet rock, the surviors were welcomed into growing Kiltrash, and soon a Bertish Quarter had grown up, with trade in lumber, furs, tusks, coffeecola, and brightening the old Kiltrash’s solemn turf skyline with Bertwood Brick in Romantic neo Etrulian fashion.

At Wumpcopse a few settlers from Mantissippii discovered Wax deposits and upon that fuel much of the future would rest. Under Tewson Brighteye, the nephew of Tewusk and suceeding Earl, the industrial revolution advanced with the creation of a modern shipyard at Salpwipple, and the construction of the Whitetusk, an iron coastal battleship.

The Bestmen of the past were supplanted by a new organization, the Aldering, a small elected town council, the Dowds gave way to modern Doctors, though the ancient form is still kept alive by the Dowdish Association, open to scholars and doctors of note. the Bestmen became Ulderz, but the Meets remained, and grew. And in all, the Modern nation, though small, is rather prosperous.

Geography

The Earish Isles are founded on truly ancient rocks, and fossils of the most primitive kind are found where past ice has scoured overlying ancient rock. On this substrate of ancient basalt and siltstones great volcanoes rose rumbled and fountained up, making rich lava fields and great mountain cones Dugong Peak, Icewurm Summit, Cold Down are still active, while the Icebear Rill, the rocks of Snowcrag and Glasscastle, Frostwet, Narwhal Snog, are all the remnants of extinct ones.

Climate.

The Climate is Subarctic with bitter extremely cold winds flowing down from the Rim mountains across the Burrfries ice sea and onto land in the months of Chillins, Freezuary, Frostember, Thawinary, Rainuary, and into Mudember. If the North Pearlfoam Abyss did not bring a (relatively) warm current up from Foo-Ee the land would be under ice all year round, and one could walk from Dundoon, over Ear, right to the Wold Rim Range. But thanks to the energy of the sea, the 6 months from Smellgoodie to Piefestober make a growing season at least in the valleys and lowlands that supports beasts and people both.

The energy that gives life makes it harsh too, as the seas around Ear are among the stormiest on Ornria. Clouds and fog are more common than sunshine, and few days in a week go by without some precipitation. In summer it’s normally misty rain, sometimes even sunny rain. Late summer sees rains intensify, and days may look lovely for hours only to suddenly become squally and the air filled with heavy rainfall, sleet, or hail. By Piefestober frost lingers later and later in the morning until the first snows set in, usually in the last week.

Fauna

Today many kinds of animals can be encountered on the Earish Isles, and far more in the seas around them. Wild Pygmy Wooly Hippos, about the size of large pigs, still wallow in the muskeg near Hobhang and Coinfree, Giant Mustoxen were introduced a few centuries ago from Dundoon, they have done well on Doggear Land, but Earlint Land they are limited to barns and require fodder to support much the year. Wolves, Furfox, White stoats, Beavers, Frostlions, Ice Bears, make the rural lands home, while in cities voles, ravens, Frost Terns, Blue Pelicans, Ellgulls, often raid trash or pester residents. Even walrus from time to time.

The Sea is even more prolix, with Fatfish, Winterwhale, Several kinds of Seal and Walrus, Giant Dugong, Candlefish, Cod, Hadibut, Liplolly, White Snook, Giant Rib Crab, Longlobster, Earish Blindshark, and seabirds in uncountable numbers, of which Greasegoose, Puffygweens, and Blue Seagulls are significant food species.

Government and politics

FORM OF GOVERNMENT.

The Earldom of Ear is a semi constitutional monarchy in which the Earl is head of state, but rules through a body called the Uldermeet. This body is made of Ulderz, officials chosen by the Alderings of the local communites, themselves chosen by lot from all residents in a community. The Aldering is a kind of city council, handling local affairs, while the Uldermeet functions as a sort of cabinet and parliament, with powers to veto the Earl in some circumstances, as well as powers over the economy, treasury, and law making. The Tavel is a third branch, comprising the courts, with judges who are selected by the Uldermeet, and with a police branch, the Tavelmount, who investigate crimes and enforce the laws. The small, fairly homogeneous nation finds this system works well. And domestic peace has prevailed for a century and a half.

LEADERS.

The current Earl of Ear is Jurp III, of the House of Sealbeardnik. Jurp III is a popular man, he takes his traditional duties seriously, performs them well, and takes pains to keep things quiet and functioning in his realm. He is unmarried, and seems to have little ambition outside ensuring his people are prosperous and retain all their ancient liberties. He is personally quite frugal, and his tastes are restrained. His courage is not in doubt, as he has performed 8 Walrus Hunts, 3 successful traditional whale hunts, and personally climbed Glasscastle Issel to gather Gumper eggs on his 18^th birthday. Of course that was three quarters of a century ago. He is an old man now, and some question exists as to who will succeed him. The options seem to be Wanjia of Goutwill, his niece; She is called “the stoat of Goutwill” and has little trust or love by most of her countryfolk, and has some ties to Oppressorbad through her husband’s trading partners. , or Loplars, called “the ice crab” who is an accomplished marine biologist, and has swum the Burrfries between the Snowcrag Rocks. He is the favored by much of the populace.

Jurp III’s chief minister is Stonefrost Sweatfoot, a graduate of the Polyestrine Polytechnic, and an extensive writer of History. He holds the title Schteerswain, an ancient post originally responsible for steering a hunting boat, but today a mark of honor given my an Earl to his favored lieutenants. His influence on the Earldom has been to open a colony in Wormwood, building the valuable junction town called Treacle, and arranging the contracts for the Wormwood Mail, and partial operation of the Wormwood National RR. The proceeds have been invested in the Earldom’s small Navy, especially in building submarines, and the twin Narwhal class torpedo cruisers.

Arrayed against the Earl is, of course, his niece Wanjia, her party is a toxic stew of mostly Doon purists who see Oppressorbad as a great model for an all Doonish Archipelago, scientific quacks, and most importantly through her husband, landowners opposed to industrialization desiring a “return to the land” expressed by a luddite rejection of roads, rails, aircraft, vehicles, some even rejecting firearms in favor of the traditional throwing axe and hunting spear as the “natural weapon” of an Earish Hero. Not coincidentally these independent landowners are making money selling leather and wax throuh Spinkker and Co. (Mr. Wanjia’s Company) that leaves Ear to find it’s way to the war machine of Oppressorbad.

Military

The armed forces of the Earldom of Ear are not very large. A population of 460 citizens insures that even though 1 in 3 have done National Service and are available to be called up in case of war, the standing force is merely one under strength Battalion of Foot,(the Kiltrash Guard), One Artillery Battery (The Fortress Gun Division), a tiny headquarters that includes a platoon strength Armor Force, and similar sized Engineers, and Signal Corps. Interestingly the Signal Corps is almost two platoons, as more than half are detached and doing duty in Treacle, and the Signal Corps operates the Earls Air Service; two aged scout aircraft and one transport, and a the Windfather, a rather grand zepplin that handles mail and passengers to and from Kiltrash to Treacle.

In addition the Navy comprises 3 squadrons of 2 submarines and a destroyer each, locally licensed copies of the Roach Harbor Boatworks Opabinia class and Mosasaur class respectively. And two examples of the Snootstream class Polyestrine light cruisers; Narwal, and Beluga, bought from Roach Harbor. These modern light cruisers are really more like destroyers, and they have a reputation as “wet” ships in rough weather. In addition the Grakknon is a coastal battleship built on an antiquated lines, and it’s heavy guns make it unsuitable for rough seas.

The Kiltrash guard is not well supplied with heavy weapons, but it’s soldiers are tough, inured to the harsh conditions of the Earish Isles, and trained on the Ice fields and mountains and volcanoes of their homeland. They can surely beat off any invader foolish enough to trespass on the Earldom’s sacred soil.

At this time the Commander of the Army, and holder of it’s highest rank is Flank Jenral Grom Beargrim, an old one eyed campaigner and childhood friend of the Earl. He’s loyal, and tough, and very good at mobile small unit defense.

Next to Jenral Beargrim, Brigatur Wolson Wetwolf is the Senior deputy commander, he holds the important post of Commander of the Consession in Wormwood. He’s a trained and talented Engineer, with Railroad experience, a great organizer and logistician, and ideal for keeping the Wormwood railroad going despite jungle, Thunderlizards, washed out bridges, and all the other inconveniences of that posting.

Administrative Divisions

There are 12 Meets across the two main islands. These each center on a village, city, or town, and fulfill the function of local government, through their Alderings,

prominent local people “elected” by acclimation of the whole civic body at a yearly meet. In practice there is no election cycle, nor election as we would recognize it. Instead, the whole community gathered together at a meet seems to simply agree that certain of their members are representative of them and have some authority, and invites them to literally sit at the Higtafel or High Table, usually an anceint plank trestle table often raised on a platform and around which the Meet has gathered. The yearly winter Meet is an outdoor Town Meeting that handles the years local business. Disagreements between Meets are taken up by the Earl himself, or a judge he appoints, usually a doctor of the Dowd.

Economics

The Currency of the Earldom of Ear is the glass coin called the Martrout. These are minted of local green volcanic glass in Kiltrash at the Galzermint near the Windy Tower.

The state generates a GDP of 6020 Martrout monthy. The Martrout trades at 1.7 Zlotys as of writing this, giving the average Earish citizen a monthly income of 22.25 Zloty/Month. So they are prosperous indeed.

The economy is surprisingly wide for so small a nation, there is much fur exporting, Dartplank Wax is canned and shipped from the port of Salpwipple, Amber and Ambergris collects on the shore and is handled by the Wumpcopse Amber Cooperative. The Salpwipple Tin Cannery exports salmon, herring, seal, and pickled whale. Kiltrash Glue Mine exports most of it’s product as well, and the Concession of Treacle in Wormwood generates quite a lot of wealth through a range of products sold overseas.

Agriculture

Perhaps it is no surprise that a nation with so short a growing season is not a great agricultural producer. Most rural families have a Mustox, and perhaps a goat, some might keep Ptarmigan fowl, but not very many. The Frozelky family of Salpwipple runs an oyster farm, Frozelky Oysters are jarred and sold all over the country, and their quality makes them a delicacy in such places as Guerat, and it is said even Grimjaw in Oppressorbad has a fondness for them, if so dour a being has a fondness for anything. Farming though is a back garden affair for most. Even the “big” farms are small by most Ornrian standards, mostly growing Blue Kale, Pumpkin, Hogweet, Bitter Radish, Sugar Beet, and Zourturnip, Oats, and the small black Truvel Potato. The traditional drink of the Isles; Sloom, has been sidelined by Oat Stout (Morkainenvale is most popular) and Nonginen; a strong rye beer flavored with zourturnip and bitter radish. It’s often served heated in a bowl. Though newcomers will find it easier to drink if it’s very cold,

Industry and manufacturing

There is not a great deal of manufacturing, but there is heavy industry in Salpwipple and Wumpcopse. The Salpwipple concerns center on ship building and the canneries, while Wumpcopse factories mainly produce machinery for the various mines; Wax, Pulp, Glue, etc.

Infrastructure and Transportation

There are few roads in Ear, and most are rough and unmettaled outside Kiltrash and Wumpcopse. The islands have no railroads yet. And the zepplin Windfather is perhaps the most advanced and civilized way to travel between Kiltrash, Wumpcopse, Ft. Ear, Frothfirthfug, then the long run to Wormwood. This is not a convenient schedule, the zepplin makes it’s stops only once a month, and often not at all if the weather is against it. Many people use the Slegj, a traditional sleigh carriage like vehicle, once pulled by goats or mustoxen, but now hauled by a small motor tractor. It can be seen on the roads in summer, slowly trudging through mud or running along the rutted dirt track, and in winter they go nearly everywhere ignoring roads where they are inconvenient.

Energy

Ear has a limited electric grid, but it’s a robust one, using both local wax deposits to run the plant in Kiltrash, and the natural hotsprings of Dugong Peak to operate the Wumpcopse plant. Many communities have no electricity, or generate their own as needed with a small oil/wax generator. Windy coastal Squirtslurpich has a power windmill that serves it well, and doubles as a lighthouse. Marine mammal oil rendered from whale, seal, dugong, or fish oil, is heavily used especially in rural areas for heat and light.

Music

Traditionally Dowds provided music with the Three Instruments, but modern Earish folk have adopted the Tralka, a sort of home made banjo like instrument. And numerous folk and popular tunes will invariably be played whenever more than two people sit for any length of time together. The radio is not very common yet, and mostly used for government and rescue work, so there is little entertainment by radio, however the government does run a music hour on Friday Night, and several rural communities and many households will gather in a room to tune in to hear a mix of popular music, news, and a verbal notice or bulletin board program.

Arts

Earish folk are fond of happy tunes about love, about fighting the elements, and sad ones about the man-hungry sea. They enjoy Hopjin a traditional dance,in form similar to Jig, Hornpipe and Hopak. And long winters indoors encouraged them to elevate scrimshaw and woodcarving to a fine art. An Earish pipe, mug, or toy will be a delightful souvenir for any visitor.

Cuisine

Abysmal by Polyestrine standards.

Sport

The Earish are a vital outdoorsy people, they love fighting the elements, and none consider themselves an adult until they have performed some heroic feat of outdoorsmanship; climbing icy sea rocks, gathering birds eggs from cliffs, hunting dangerous animals from a skin boat, or making an epic journey through winter storms on skis... the more dangerous, the better. They have also made a sport of poetry, challenging one another to recite poems and in the recitals they make riddles, change verses to celebrate or denigrate contemporary deeds and people, and amuse the audience, these are often drinking games, with drink alternating with verse until one contestant gives in or passes out.