Glossary
S
Note: This glossary changes constantly, receiving new
entries all
the time. Most of these words will not crop up in all
stories. I have
not written down all of the unusual words and terms that I
have buried
in my notes, but have concentrated mainly on those most
pertinent to
finished novels (which is why you will at first see more
notes on Til
Territories and the Charadoc than any other cultures)
though I am
trying to include as much as I can on missions, cultures
and lands not
yet formally written about--hundreds of cultures exist in
my notes, and
they all have their peculiar terminology. Please notify me
if you find
anything unfamiliar in my tales that I haven't yet
catalogued for this
letter. Thank you. sacrifice bread:
The
Outlaw Faith, in the days of Alroy the Ever-Young, developed
a
tradition of baking a special bread for the last meal of a
human
sacrifice, baked in a ring, of multiple coarse grains, nuts,
and bits
of dried fruit. The sacrificee would share it with hir
family. The ring-shape symbolized continuity, that all
of them,
living or dead, would still be one family, nourishing each
other. sacriphish:
An
unasked-for sacrifice made with the intention of making the
recipient
beholden to the sacriphisher, or otherwise done with
manipulative
intent. Salt River: A river in
Altraus, an offshoot of the Mirabecca
River, which meanders around behind the hills backing the
Storm Garden
Peninsula. It derives its name from the salt which
evaporation leaves
behind on the rocks of its shoals, wherever it flows wide
and shallow.
Its water, however, remains potable and reasonably good for
irrigation. Sanalvarronuñez:
A city-state on the northeastern shore of the Bay of Weissel
in the
Northwestern Continent, between Briuer and _______, although
no real
border exists beyond wasteland. Originally named Misión de San Alvarro Nuñez
Cabesa
de Vaca, it was colonized by Mexican Zapatistas and their
sympathizers and associates (who believed that Cabeza de
Vaca
conquistador-turned medicine-man, really ought to be sainted
for having
championed indigenous rights, rather than dragged back to
Spain in
chains as a madman) later joined by many adrift from the
Weissel
expedition that landed in the bay, plus a Japanese Ainu
colony, one
from Lima, Peru, and one from Harlem, New York, USA, all of
which had
gotten lost in the desert till they found succor with this
community.
Although an arid region, this hilly
pocket on the coast traps fogs from the bay that keeps the
land
fertile. They also reap water from mist by an
ingenious system of nets that drip condensation
down into
reservoirs. They export every kind of fruit,
vegetable, grain and
weaving fiber that they can grow to their less fortunate
neighbors, in
return for copper, silver, and semiprecious stones.
These in turn
they ship to Istislan in exchange for other goods.
The best summary of their nature comes from
the field notes of an agent of the Tilián,
Merrill A. Ambrey: The
city is largely Catholic, but
not under any of the established rites of the Three Orthodox
Popes--they seem
to owe their allegiance to an archbishop.
Church leadership is the check-and-balance to an
elected secular
government of village mayors who gather in a kind of
congress to elect a Grand
Mayor and argue with hir once they do.
The Mayors have the militias and the jails, and lift
or levy taxes. The Church has
guilt and blessings, the
promise of heaven and the threat of hell, and wield sermons
to praise or
blame. The people put weight
behind both
institutions. Rather than enforcing many specific laws, the courts argue endlessly on where to apply a few umbrella laws, with precedents and challenges to precedents and new twists on old crimes. The main law seems to be one that forbids ASuborning the Common Good,@ with degrees of violation varying from APublic Nuisance@ to AMultiple losses of Life@. Sanalvarronuñezians
are expressive and vigorous and loud, reverent and
irreverent by turns, intense yet able to laugh things
off, robust and tender
and earthy. I think I will enjoy this mission."
Sandurste: The community in Til Territories that
anchors the
eastern end of the Great Gulf Road. It is otherwise somewhat
isolated,
with the Coral Gulf before it and Hunter’s Forest behind,
the nearest
community being the scarcely populated and uncommunicative
Village of
Misanthropes to the southeast. Somewhat farther down the
coast lies Civilization
Point College. Yet the town enjoys the
stimulated commerce of holding a key position in a major
trade route
for goods passing between Til Institute and Novo Durango. It
is mainly
known for its architecturally peculiar subcommunities called
schrops. Scotch
Hop:
A variety of beer from the Plague Belt, made of malted
barley, halted
in the sprouting by drying it in peat fires, much like
Scotch whisky,
with hops added. Contrary to popular misconception,
the hops
themselves are not descended from any varieties once grown
in Scotland,
but vary according to the brewer, usually some cultivar of
the Noble
hop.
scragglevine: A thin desert vine that can spread over
quite a
distance in search of water, putting out few leaves and
branches,
relying mainly on its green bark for photosynthesis. Used in
wickerwork. sea-sheep: A large, plump, sea-bird, about the size of a goose, native to the western coast of the Northeastern Continent and the eastern coast of the Northwestern Continent, nesting and breeding in the more northern latitudes in the late spring and summer, and migrating south for the winter. It has a white head, neck and body, a mottled breast in taupe with black and white edged feathers, and wings of taupe, green, black and white. It gets its name from its characteristic call, remarkably like the baaing of a mature sheep. Some countries
have domesticated sea-sheep, prized for its grease and
feathers, and
for its meat for special occasions. A number of
holidays feature
a roasted sea-sheep as the traditional pinnacle of a feast. seaspider: An eight-legged, oceanic crustacean, large of limb and compact of body, generally about half to two-thirds of a meter in length and width, extended legs included. Generally in the yellow range of color, varying from lime green to pumpkin-orange, with the goldenrod and golden-beige varieties most common. Some are a tangerine color, and a rare brick-red variety exists in a few inlets of Corribhai Colony and the border of Skarfangers. Most seaspiders, however, prefer the much colder waters of the northernmost eastern coasts and islands of the Northwestern Continent. Gourmets the world over prize the meat of the seaspider's leg-segments, especially with butter and chives or parsley, with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of capers. Northern islanders make a chowder of it, where seaspiders thrive. The fisherani who live nearest to their prime waters are few and hardy, and keep most seaspiders to themselves, making the seafood expensive in other parts of the world. The southern varieties are thin and unpleasant in favor, tasting slightly spoiled even when fresh, and so are tossed out of traps meant for tastier creatures.
secondary atmosphere: Alien's term for the gaseous
atmosphere above the water. shark:
Any
of a number of different kinds of large, primitive fish with
strong
jaws and multiple rows of teeth, found in all the oceans and
seas of
Novatierre. Many, in fact, bear a striking resemblance
to the
sharks of Earth, though to the best of anyone's knowledge
nobody ever
brought Earth-sharks to Novatierre. With good reason;
it's a
brilliant, efficient evolutionary design that has stood the
test of
time on both planets. The Aliens say that they have
similar
creatures in the seas of their own world.
sharps: Slang term for CNS stimulant drugs. Shi'h:
The
Darvinian Goddess of Justice. Originally a
nature-spirit of
sand, she tended the birth of Yaio, the Bringer of
Consequences, as his
mother Timora labored in exile in the deserts of the
Southern
Continent, and with her dunes she helped to hide him till he
grew to
maturity. She admired his determination to survive in
the most
inhospitable of all lands, and fell in love with him, and he
with her,
and they married, and she advises all of his
decisions. She is
also the mother of his daughter, Aiam, or Mercy. She tests all things. She grinds down, but she also polishes. She humbles the proud, but she smooths the way for those who seek whatever is right and fair. Although sometimes portrayed in carved sandstone, Shi'h is more often painted, pointilistically, in sand-colors of yellow, cream, taupe, traces of black, and palest pink, with her hair and diaphonous robes blowing into particles. She holds her hands out to either side in the position of a scale, and from her fingers to the left black sand trickles, while from her right hand trickles sand in purest white. Her devotees fashion her shrine
of
finely polished wood or stone, or sometimes of concrete with
marbles,
glass, or other inclusions in it revealed by polishing away
the
surface. She allows no angles or edges in her shrines;
all must be
smoothed and curved. In Darvinia she has a chapel alcove in every courtroom, with a tray of sand before her. She accepts no offerings, but if you feel your cause is just, you can put your hand into the tray and plead your case to her. During actual trials a bailiff will carry this tray to the witness-stand, and every witness must place hir hand on the sand, swearing that e says only what is true and just. shiriki: The Vanikketan version of the Undead. According to their folklore, grave-robbers, or anyone who steals anything off the body of a corpse, can trigger shirikar in the corpse--that is, turn it into a skiriki. The violation is so fundamentally disrespectful that it sparks an imitation of life in the corpse. It knows vaguely that something has been stolen from it, and that it feels empty. It should not awaken, and yet here it is, feeling some great loss. It conflates its lack of a soul with the lost object, and rears up to look for it. It can sense thievery and homes in on it, assuming all thieves to be the grave-robber. It stucks tatters of soul from any thief it finds. Merely speaking of thievery can draw a shiriki close, but it will only attack the guilty. Shocksweets:
A
confectionary in Alonzo City which makes gallows-humor
candies aimed
at the teenage market. They began with the production
of
Droaches--dates stuffed with crystalized ginger, modified to
resemble
cockroaches--but they are most well-known for the Cannablits
Scandal,
when they made candy resembling human body parts.
shopping-park: A Tilián mall, extensively landscaped
and supplied with noncommercial as well as commercial
establishments. silcup: A
cylindrical silicone container, in several standardized
sizes, commercially used for canned goods.
Silverbelle: A horse whose owner was murdered in the
saddle by a
rival in love, near Sandurste, Til Territories. The dead man
fell
somewhere in the brush while the horse galloped away in
fear. According
to folklore, the horse came back to look for him, and lived
thereafter
feral in the hills. They say that she still looks for him
long after
her death, knowing no other mission anymore, and so her
ghost haunts
the hills in the vicinity of her master’s murder. skarf: An ever-shifting sandbar island. skarfanger:
Someone
who tends skarfs, maintaining their presence where needed to
protect harbors and the shoreline from storms and to
mitigate
hurricanes, while preventing them from blocking those
harbors. Skarfangers:
A
democratic East-coast nation of the Northwestern Continent,
between
Corriebhai Colony and the Gulf of Istislan, with United
Tribes to the
East. When the leaders of Corriebhai Colony insisted
on paying
tribute to Corriebhai despite the lack of enforcement of
feudal law so
far from their motherland, unrest soon followed, led
intially by the
Skarfanger Guild, who threatened to close off all harbors
rather than
let any such shipment leave their shores. Soon a
majority backed
them up and seceded from the original colony. Tensions continue, as the
Corriebhai Colony penalty of choice for their most
recalcitrant
criminals is exile, and naturally the exiles opt to go to
the
neighboring country which speaks the same language.
The border
patrol has been known to shoot exiles on sight, though they
are
supposed to simply take such undesirables into
custody. However,
the Fallen Angels have a border patrol of their own, to
rescue as many
exiles as they can to become soldiers of their crime
syndicate and
members of their family. Skarfangers is a large country
with a small and scattered population (with their densest
concentration
around the harbor bazaars along the coast) and a cuture of
outspoken
independance. They never organize enough to feature
prominently
on the world stage, but they also live in a fertile land
with a rich
shore, and have the determination to make the most of it,
and so they
lack for nothing. They do a brisk trade in
money-laundering for
people in other countries (one of the contributions of the
Fallen Angels to the local
economy which nobody likes to talk about) which
then fuels their purchase of imports to export at a profit
to other
markets. They also send gadgeteers to countries
without a
manufacturing base. skislope:
A
type of cupcake popular in Vanikke, of mint-flavored cake
topped with
whipped cream sprinkled with coarse white sugar, often also
flavored
with mint. Especially popular in summer. Skotseng:
An
English-based language, evolving from English as spoken by
Scottish
colonists in Corriebhai, with some admixture of Gaelic and
Hindi. Skyshuttle System:
Official name for the network of
transcontinental flight that connect Istislan Capitol,
Naugren Station,
and Novo Durango. Pioneered and built by Istislan, in
cooperation with
Naugren and the Tilián. The chief challenge lay in devising
a fuel
equivalent to the jet fuels of Earth, but the Istislanin
rose to the
challenge admirably. smoked honey: A sweetener used in certain confections in Duerlongh, made by smoking the honey in the comb before extraction, carefully at a low temperature so as not to melt the wax, but for quite a long time. The smokers prefer fruit woods or sugar-sap woods for the process. The resultant honey has a deep, amber-brown to reddish-brown color, depending on a variety of factors. smoked
honey bars:
A popular sweet treat in Duerlongh. It consists of a
filling of
smoked honey mingled with dried fruits (apricot's a popular
choice, but
it can also use peach, date, fig, raisin, currant, citron,
or other
fruits, usually in combination with apricot) wrapped in a
sweetened
whole grain dough. Smoky River: A river in
Hunter’s Forest, Altraus, named for its mists. Smylifess:
A
symbol, consisting of two dots above a curve parallel to the
circle
surrounding them, used by various cultures, particularly
ones with a
high illiteracy rate, for various positive meanings.
In the
Charadoc it means "free goods"; one attaches it to anything
that one
leaves out in the open for other people to find and
use. In
Olovrmn, a sign with this emblem in Olovrmn indicates the
entry to a
safe path through marshes. Guaymaialan Hillfolk will
sketch this
in dirt or snow to show the way to mark a buried cache of
treasure or
supplies. In Borta, which actually has a high literacy
rate,
merchants use it in advertisements to indicate sales. snake cults: An umbrella term for a wide variety of secret religious societies, found mainly in Mabhratha but sometimes also in Pakashk, and possibly other places as well. We know little about them, except that they worship a snake deity and that rumor speaks of rituals involving the inhalation of venom-vapor from “flying snakes”, most notably the white and rose “holy snake”, although some cults might use other varieties if they cannot find the white variety. Anecdotal reports show no evidence of organization or sharing of doctrine or practice between groups. Some seem to share many of the opinions and aspirations of Satanism, but this might come from a later infusion of converts from Christianity, disaffected and attracted to snakes as a symbol of rebellion. Others vehemently deny this, and insist that they simply seek a visionary understanding of Novatierre not available, to their knowledge, any other way. They have encountered sufficient persecution to lodge them pretty firmly underground.
Snake River: Chief tributary of Diana Lake. Contrary
to the
popular assumption that the river derives its name from its
twists and
turns through rocky terrain, settlers actually named it
originally for
the quantity of green-snakes found sunning themselves on its
rocks or
swimming its waters. snowbird: A large bird native to the upper latitudes of the Northwestern Continent, in the East, either pure white or mottled in brown or gray, depending on the breed. Some varieties are aquatic, but most live inland. A heavy bird, it can fly only short distances, such as up into trees to evade predators, and does not migrate in winter. Rather, it has adapted by developing a thick layer of fat, both for insulation and for generating heat. It also has claws on the insides of its wings, that can rip flesh to shreds. While rarely fatal, this sort of attack conditions predators to avoid what would otherwise be easy prey. And it also has powerful foot-claws, well-adapted to digging frozen earth first warmed by its body. and a long, hard beak, useful in extracting burrowing or estivating insects, worms, amphibians, or small rodents. Different varieties have blue, yellow, green or black eyes. Known for its rich meat, it is
also prized for its fat, used extensively in cooking in its
native
countries. The choicest snowbird-grease has been
rendered over an
open fire of fruitwood or nutwood, and has become flavored
with the
smoke. It has therefore become endangered in Vanikke
and
domesticated in Borta.
The Social Barn: Nickname for a building in Til,
converted from
an old dirigible hanger built for a dirigible that never
actually got
off the ground. This cavernous building has many curtains on
tracks to
divide up the space, and several partial floors built of
slotted wood
and bolts that can be changed at will. Used for many
community purposes
and modified as needed. sososka:
A pteridograminoid vegetable native to the Southwestern
Continent.
Cultivated mainly for its unusually large shoots or sprouts
(2-3 cm
wide, and about half a meter long, when harvested) pale
yellow in
color, with a taste similar to asparagus with a touch of
celery, which
are commonly exported diced and pickled. When mature,
sososka
presents fluttery, fern-indented leaves in a light to medium
green,
tightly coiled around a central stem, from which the fruit,
a sort of
semifused grain-ear develops. It has no true flower,
but rather
stamens within leaves, and draws pollinters by its sweet,
vanilla/hay
scent. The seeds are used in perfumery. They are
edible,
but have an unpleasant aftertaste, which does not seem to
bother pigs
or goats; this makes them suitable for fodder.
sound-gum: A polymer resin formulated to take the
impression of sounds in a recording device. South-Southampton: An island of Til Territories populated by a thriving rural community and providing a wide variety of crops, it also has a small but growing urban element centered around transoceanic trade and small industry. Some international tradespeople find its rules somewhat laxer than those of Novo Durango or Til Institute, though the goods go to the same people. Popularly nicknamed “South-South”, its colors are aqua and white. South-South
Tropic Ale:
Originally called South-South Tropicale, this alcoholic
beverage, made
exclusively in South-South became known as Tropic Ale
colloquially,
which then became the brand name of its chief manufacturer,
although
not in fact an ale at all. Brewers make it by piercing
a coconut,
inserting date-sugar and yeast, then letting it ferment,
after which
they blend in a variety of proprietary spices not revealed
to the
outside world. South Stovak: Sometimes a
district of Stovak as a united
country, sometimes an independent nation, South Stovak
consists of the
most mountainous quarter of Stovak, populated mainly by
Mountainfolk of
a singularly independent streak, with a complex and rich
culture full
of taboos easily violated by the lowland populations to the
north of
them. Periodically rises up in revolution against their
richer
neighbors to the north. Known for their hot tempers, delight
in the art
of war, and passion for freedom. spa-town: A community, usually small, in Clomen or Aistruli, whose main trade is the tourist industry, revolving around one or more hot springs and/or beaches. A town with at least one good or several lesser spas and resorts.
spiceblossom: Low-growing tree or tall shrub native
to Altraus,
with coastal and inland hill varieties. Blooms in late
spring or early
summer after formation of its small, sharply pointed,
avocado-to-olive
green leaves. The blossoms exhibit a corona of one color
petals and a
tight inner ring of another color, usually in variations of
gold and
red, though there is a peach/magenta cultivar. The perfume
of these
blossoms is very spicy, resembling cinnamon and nutmeg with
a sharp
tang of tamarind and citrus. Used in perfumery; some have
used the buds
for seasoning, but the bitter aftertaste repels all but the
true
aficionado, making spiceblossom buds unsuitable for
commercial
purposes. The wood is grayish, contorted, and splits easily,
suitable
for some artistic effects but not for lumber.
spice-melon: An inedible melon variety from Tsariosh, probably of Earth stock though much altered by breeding. It has a rich scent like honeydew, cantaloupe, cardamom and nutmeg, but a bland, slightly bitter flavor and can mildly upset the stomach. Grown for perfume. It bears small white flowers, leading to fruits the size of grapefruits, orange in color with jagged stripes of yellow. starlight
gardenia:
A tropical flowering vine of the rainforests of the
Southwestern
Continent. Named for its gardenia-like scent, it has
five-petaled
bluish-white or golden-white flowers, centered with a long
burst of
pure white stamens. It blooms at night, pollinated by
moths. It has dark, glossy leaves, elongated heart
shaped, and a
few thorns. The fruits are small, black, and too sour
for
consumption, but rich in tannic acid for cottage industry
leatherwork. station
time:
The time used at stations for any form of mass-transit that
travels
between communities with different reckonings of time.
The first
hour of station-time begins with that moment that the first
vehicle of
the network historically departed the first station.
Most
stations will have two clocks, with station-time on the left
and local
time on the right. steel
eel:
A giant invertebrae (sometimes called a marsh-dragon)
steel-gray in
color, that lives in the marshy plague belt aaround the Gulf
of
Istislan. It varies in length, being segmented and
serpentine in
body, but its head is roughly the size of a large GEM or
small bus,
with small eyes, feelers around the mouth, and a curving
frill to the
back of its head-plate like a ceratopsian dinosaur. It
has many
small, paddle-like legs underneath, between every segment.
The steel eel spends most of its life buried
deep in the
marshes of the Northwestern continent's southern horn,
eating decaying
vegetable matter and dissolved minerals. Once a year,
usually on
the summer solstice, it surfaces to breed. At that
time each
marshland community will hold a hunt. Each town or
village will
recruit every able-bodied citizen to hunt one (and only one)
steel eel,
for it takes many people to slay one, and a single steel eel
will feast
the entire community. Legends vary up and down the
coast as to
the fate of villages that get greedy and kill two at
once. Most
of the legends in Firenja claim that these erring villages
lay in
Oolang-Gyorny, and assert that diseases in that region arise
as a
punishment for this ancient crime.
The steel eel has a moist and flaky flesh, with
a taste
reminiscent of lobster with butter, plus a faint and
pleasant mineral
tang. It is rich in essential trace minerals,
argenine,
b-complex, and protein. Ingestion is also said to
boost psychic
abilities. No village will sell the meat for love or
money,
although sometimes they will barter the ground shell as a
supplement
for human beings, animals, or fertilizer. Custom
forbids actual
money changing hands, however.
The steel eel plays an important function in
the ecology
of the region, helping to purify the marshes, and reducing
pathogens by
feeding off of them. Where the steel eel thrives in
greater
numbers, the number of deaths to illness diminish--an
important
consideration in this notoriously unhealthy land. Its
droppings
are also considered the world's best fertilizer for the tea
plant.
Rumors that some communities worship the steel
eel bear
have no basis in reality. However, many legends
attribute minor
supernatural characteristics or powers to this unique
animal. As
it does seem to often include magentine among the minerals
digested, it
might be unwise to discount these beliefs altogether as
superstition.
Stilthome: A village of Til Territories located in
the upper,
firmer southern end of Rhallunn Marsh, between the Rhallunn
River and
Mt. Seascarp. As its name implies, all of the homes stand on
stilts,
and people travel on shallow-bottomed skiffs across the
water. Said to
have been founded to avoid bandits, the village sells wild
rice, clams,
and driftwood carvings primarily. Its colors are sage and
taupe. Stinkybunny:
A
small, carnivorous scavenger, equipped with long ears,
powerful
hindquarters, and stink glands, native to the plains of the
Northwestern Continent. Its ears can detect the
commotion of
other hunting animals from quite some distance away
(variable according
to terrain) and its large haunches enable it to hasten, in
quick
sprints and leaps, towards the hunt, making a piercing,
carrying yip
every time it leaps above the level of the grasses, thereby
warning the
predators of its coming. When it arrives, it will
spray a stench
in the vicinity, adhering to any hapless predator
inexperienced enough
to attempt to defend its kill, and driving back all
others.
Usually the predator has time to eat quite a bit before the
arrival of
the stinkybunny pack, and experienced alphas can gauge quite
well just
how much time their own pack has to make the most of their
catch before
the competition arrives. Stovak: A nation or
combination of nations in the Southwestern
Continent, intermittently dividing into North and South
Stovak and then
recombining again, almost with the frequency of the malarial
fevers
that wrack its denizens, split along any one of several
shifting rivers
bifurcating it roughly horizontally through the middle. It
is bounded
to the south and southwest by the Byssinian Gulf, to the
east by the
Charadoc, and to the north and northwest by lands so far
uncharted in
the Archives of Til. suarvalu: A
stocky, climbing mammal, about the size of a large dog only
rounder,
indigenous to the rainforests of the southeastern tropics of
the
Northeastern Continent, with a piglike snout for digging up
tubers and
mushrooms, and round, teddy-bear like ears. Gray or
beige in
color, with long black claws. Raised for meat, it
tastes much
like pork. sub-college: An
educational system within a larger system, specializing in a
limited but detailed course of studies. swamp-bean:
A
thin vine common to wetlands throughout the Southeastern
Continent,
that can entangle other plants in mats miles wide. Its
weak
tendrils snap easily but grow back with legendary
swiftness. In
fact many a comical tale tells of lazy people becoming
overgrown with
swamp-bean vines. The blossoms resemble small
snapdragon blooms and come in a wide range of pastel colors,
especially
in the lavender range, plus white, giving off a heady
perfume that
legend says can cause intoxication and the shedding of
inhibitions and
good judgment, although scientific investigation has found
no evidence
of this, and suggests that people shed their inhibitions
because they
believe that they have an excuse. Still, people are
more likely
to forgive transgressions that occur when the swamp beans
bloom, and
illegitimate children are sometimes referred to as swamp
beans. The farmers of Dixie cultivate
this wild plant, which produces abundant edible legumes,
good both
dried and fresh in the pod. The new tendrils also make
a good
vegetable, either cooked or raw in salads. During Mardi Gras, unmarried men
and women alike wear swamp-bean garlands. So do
teenagers, when
they can sneak away from adult supervision, and not always
during the
holidays. A married person who wears such a garland
levels a
grave insult at his or her spouse, often dividing the
community as to
whether this was a shameful act or a rebellion long
overdue.
Murders have occurred over this. swamp-corn:
A
reed indigenous to the wetlands of the Southwestern
Continent,
cultivated in Dixie. It grows dense clusters of edible
round,
glossy maroon seeds, in shape like the fluff of cattails,
high in
protein, vitamin E, and beta carotene, but difficult to
harvest as the
ears are apt to "shatter" when ripe and scatter all over the
water. Farmers generally tie translucent bladders or
xylophane
sacks over the ears before they ripen (opaque sacks makes a
later-ripening and less flavorful result) but some always
burst apart
before the farmers can get there. Farmers
traditionally sow back
into the water the seeds of the last ear to ripen, in the
hopes of
encouraging future generations to take their time.
Swamp Cove: The mouth of the Rhallunn river which is,
as the name implies, swampy. |